Aaron Rodgers appears destined to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers sometime this offseason, but even if he does, one NFL insider is predicting Mike Tomlin and Co. will scoop up a quarterback in the draft.
Despite Rodgers conducting private workouts with Steelers wide receivers and having had a long, reportedly successful meeting with team brass, Pittsburgh may choose to use its No. 21 overall pick on Rodgers' backup. That's at least what Field Yates is predicting in his latest two-round mock draft, in which he projected Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart becoming a Steeler.
“While it seems the Steelers are the most likely landing spot for Aaron Rodgers, signing him would not preclude them from looking toward the future at quarterback,” Yates wrote for ESPN. “Rodgers is 41 years old, and each coming season is a true year-to-year proposition. But Pittsburgh hasn't even signed Rodgers yet, meaning Mason Rudolph is the current QB1. Let's lock up another signal-caller for the Steelers here.
“Dart broke Eli Manning's school record at Ole Miss for passing yards (4,279) and led the FBS in yards per attempt (10.8) in 2024. He has good mobility and accuracy, throwing 52 touchdowns and 11 interceptions over the past two seasons.”
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Dart started for nearly three whole seasons at Ole Miss after transferring from USC following the 2021 season. A dual-threat quarterback, Dart rushed for 12 touchdowns with the Rebels, and during the 2022 season, he had 614 rushing yards.
For that reason, as well as similar builds, it may be a good idea to draft Dart and have him sit behind Rodgers for a season or two. Of course, Rodgers dealt with something similar when he was drafted; after sliding to 24th overall in 2005, Rodgers served as Brett Favre's backup for three seasons before becoming the Green Bay Packers' starter in 2008. Rodgers also reportedly mentored Jordan Love, the Packers' first-round pick in 2020 who spent three seasons behind Rodgers before the veteran signed with the Jets in 2023.
Since the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger after the 2021 season, the Steelers have struggled to find a suitable replacement, shuffling between Mason Rudolph, Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, Justin Fields, and, most recently, Russell Wilson.
Despite consistently having one of the best defenses and coaches in the league, Pittsburgh last won a playoff game in January 2017. Since then, the team has lost five consecutive postseason games and missed the playoffs altogether three times.