If you thought things couldn't get worse for the Pittsburgh Steelers and their quarterback situation in 2025, think again. After the front office missed out on Sam Darnold and Justin Fields in free agency, there were left to choose between Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. Rodgers felt like their top choice with Wilson as a potential fallback option.
Now they could end up with neither.
The minute after free agency officially kicked off, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Wilson is flying to Cleveland to meet with the Browns. No big deal, right? But it gets worse... so much worse.
While it was never ideal to turn to Wilson again for the 2025 season, he at least could have been a respectable insurance policy. But Wilson isn't the only QB target who could sign elsewhere. The Vikings are now considering Aaron Rodgers.
On Wednesday, NFL Insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic dropped a bombshell report that Vikings decision-makers are evaluating their options at quarterback. That includes potentially signing Rodgers. The four-time NFL MVP is intrigued by the idea, and this may have been the opportunity he was holding out for.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are screwed if Aaron Rodgers signs with the Minnesota Vikings
This isn't hard to make sense of from the Vikings' perspective. They were a 14-win team last season with Sam Darnold at the helm and loaded up on talent in free agency. Meanwhile, J.J. McCarthy is coming off a major knee injury and hasn't played an NFL snap yet, and Minnesota believes they can win a championship now. Rodgers makes sense.
This is bad for the Steelers. Whether you are a fan of Rodgers, there's no question that he's the best-remaining quarterback option of the group, and quite frankly, he's the only one who gives them the chance to compete for a playoff win.
But if the Minnesota Vikings come swoop in and pluck Rodgers off the market, the Steelers are screwed for the 2025 season.
The Steelers needed an upgrade from Wilson—who wasn't good enough to get the job done in 2024. But if he and Rodgers sign elsewhere, Pittsburgh will be left to sift through free-agent leftovers like Jameis Winston, Mason Rudolph, Joe Flacco, and Mac Jones. Not exactly the cream of the crop.
Considering Pittsburgh is also projected to lose roughly 20 percent of their starters from last season, it's easy to see how the 2025 season will be forfeited. Without a respectable quarterback, the Steelers can't expect to be serious contenders in the upcoming season.
For Rodgers, it's easy to see why Minnesota would be a more desirable destination. Not only would he get to play with a brilliant offensive mind and head coach Kevin O'Connell, but he could sling the ball to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson all day.
Rodgers choosing the Vikings would come full circle to the career route Brett Favre took (from Green Bay to New York to Minnesota). If the Vikings are interested—and it sounds like they are—they could poach the last remaining respectable QB option from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
More Steelers News and Analysis