Mike McCarthy drops hint on Steelers' draft plans amid Aaron Rodgers uncertainty

The Pittsburgh Steelers still don't know whether Aaron Rodgers will retire or return for at least another season.

Regardless, the franchise needs to start planning for the future. That's why the Steelers won't make the same mistake the Green Bay Packers did when they kept Rodgers in the dark about getting his replacement.

This time, head coach Mike McCarthy is being fully transparent about his desire to draft a quarterback.

Speaking at the annual meetings in Arizona, McCarthy even talked about the type of signal-caller his team will be looking for.

Mike McCarthy says Steelers will draft a quarterback

“I’m hopeful there will be a quarterback at the right time there for us to possibly add to our to our roster,” McCarthy said, per Mike DeFabo of The Athletic. “With 12 picks, we want to have a hell of a class.”

While McCarthy didn't name any player specifically, their draft positioning and the description he had could give the fans some hints to jump to conclusions.

“Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers are Hall of Fame quarterbacks, but they both have long arms,” McCarthy said. “They both have 10-inch hands. To win playoff games and win games in December …your guy’s got to throw it better than the other guy in the big games.”

Players like Carson Beck, Drew Allar and Tayler Green fit that description, and they should all be available in the middle rounds. 

Rodgers may or may not return for another year, but the Steelers are doing the right thing by preparing for the future.