Analysts react to Steelers' Shedeur Sanders draft decision

It appears the Pittsburgh Steelers' belief that quarterback Aaron Rodgers will soon join the organization resulted in the club waiting until the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft to grab Ohio State signal-caller and developmental prospect Will Howard. 

On the latest edition of his "NFL Daily" podcast, analyst Gregg Rosenthal referred to the Steelers as "a little bit of a loser" of the draft for not taking a flier on Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders as Sanders slid to the fifth round. 

"I know the idea that you wouldn't want the distraction of it all," Rosenthal said about Pittsburgh possibly having a big-name QB2 such as Sanders on the roster, per Troy Montgomery of Steelers Depot. "And I know the quarterback room of Aaron Rodgers and Shedeur Sanders doesn't make that much sense. ...That said, they need a quarterback. I think you should be taking swings every single time. They end up with Will Howard in the sixth round. But to me, Sanders graded out as a better prospect, was worth taking a shot on just to see, even if it's for a year or two."

Rodgers turns 42 years old this coming December, dealt with multiple physical issues this past season and may have only one more campaign left in the tank. Even if he signs with Pittsburgh before mandatory minicamp begins, he's merely a temporary solution to a problem that has hovered over the Steelers since Ben Roethlisberger retired in January 2022. 

Numerous stories linked the Steelers with Sanders before it became clear that the polarizing prospect sank his stock via his handling of the predraft process. A previous report questioned if Steelers owner/president Art Rooney II would be on board with acquiring Sanders, and former NFL star Boomer Esiason shared on Monday that he heard multiple owners ordered teams not to draft the 23-year-old. 

The Cleveland Browns ultimately traded up to select Sanders in the draft's fifth round.

According to Ross McCorkle of Steelers Depot, ESPN's Mina Kimes insisted during Monday's edition of the "NFL Live" program that she was fine with Pittsburgh taking Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon over Sanders at pick No. 21. However, Kimes also suggested that the Steelers should've selected Sanders over Ohio State pass-rusher Jack Sawyer at choice No. 123. 

"You gotta take some swings," Kimes added. "...I just wish they had been a little bit more aggressive at the position." 

What's done is done, and Sanders is now with one of Pittsburgh's division rivals and a team that hasn't had a true long-term franchise quarterback since it returned to the NFL in 1999. While every organization passed on Sanders multiple times during the draft, the Steelers and two other clubs will have to worry about seeing him at least twice each season if he becomes a star for the Browns.