Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Backup Plan Is Bleak

The point of quarterback purgatory is that it is, by definition, nearly inescapable. So it’s no surprise the Pittsburgh Steelers are approaching another season with muted expectations and questions under center.

This time around, the Steelers let two acceptable but underwhelming options walk in free agency. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields found new homes in East Rutherford, signing with the New York Giants and New York Jets, respectively.

That left Pittsburgh with all of its eggs in the Aaron Rodgers basket, an unenviable position. As Matthew Stafford stayed home, and Sam Darnold and Geno Smith moved elsewhere, options quickly came off the board.

Rodgers has been penciled atop this depth chart for weeks, if not months, but pen hasn’t hit paper. With OTAs ongoing and training camp around the corner, other options must at least be considered.

Insider Gerry Dulac revealed on 102.5 DVE what the Steelers’ backup plan for Rodgers is, and it left fans wanting more.

“I believe and have been told that if it’s not Aaron Rodgers that we’ll find a veteran quarterback to backup Mason Rudolph,” Dulac said.

Rudolph was signed to a two-year, $7.5 million deal early in free agency, essentially to be the starter in the worst-case scenario where established veterans go elsewhere and Rodgers steps aside. He’s a viable backup who has never looked like a quality option for long stretches in the NFL, and his most recent work with the Tennessee Titans helped pave the way for Cam Ward.

Starting Rudolph wouldn’t be a sign that Pittsburgh is “tanking.” That simply doesn’t happen in the NFL, and Rudolph is still competent. It would, however, put a dent in the small chance the team had of winning a playoff game in 2025.

With Rodgers, the plan would be to optimize his strengths to get average play to support a talented roster. Rudolph’s fate would be a weekly game of “hide the quarterback.”

Pittsburgh went down this path knowing there was a real chance Rodgers would step away, and that starting Rudolph would be more likely than trading for, say, Atlanta Falcons veteran Kirk Cousins. That’s telling of the team’s interpretation of the AFC and its standing in it.

Clearly, the Steelers are comfortable enough with their ability to compete with Rudolph under center. For the (large) fraction of the fanbase that doesn’t yet see that vision, it’s hard to sell Pittsburgh’s offseason as anything but underwhelming at the sport’s most important position.