Steelers Nearly Landed Aaron Rodgers 20 Years Ago

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers are thrilled to have Aaron Rodgers as their starting quarterback in 2025. Even the 41-year-old version of Rodgers entering his 21st NFL season. Searching for stability at the quarterback position since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement, the organization hopes Rodgers provides it this upcoming season.

While the Steelers are happy about having Rodgers in 2025, according to a former team executive there was a time when Pittsburgh nearly drafted the quarterback back in 2005. Doug Whaley, former personnel executive with the organization, recently spoke about the 2004 and 2005 drafts on 93.7 The Fan. The 2004 class would become known for the group of quarterbacks to emerge, including the Steelers, who landing Roethlisberger with the 11th pick. Had the team not landed a QB in that pick, Whaley believes that the Steelers would have been in on Rodgers during the first round of the 2005 draft.

”We wouldn’t have had to (trade up),” he said. “We would’ve just sat there. We had him higher than that. We were surprised he was slipping.”

Rodgers was selected with the 24th overall pick in 2005 by the Green Bay Packers. The Steelers picked tight end Heath Miller with the 30th pick.

Thankfully for the Steelers, they were able to land their franchise quarterback in the 2004 draft. It was a moment that Whaley looks back on in disbelief nearly 20 years later. He described how the team and nearly the entire NFL penciled Roethlisberger in as the Cleveland Browns’ first-round selection at number six overall. The Browns shocked everyone by taking talented tight end Kellen Winslow, paving the way for Big Ben to drop to the Steelers at pick 11.

“Then when the Browns took (Kellen) Winslow, we all were like, wait a minute,” he recalled. “Seriously, I remember looking around the room saying. “Where are the cameras is this one of those jokes? We couldn’t believe Ben fell to us.”

The rest was history for the Steelers, as they’d go on to win two Super Bowl trophies with Roethlisberger under center. They may have missed out on Rodgers in the draft, but the organization would surely trade that for two championships and the chance to win a Lombardi Trophy with Aaron Rodgers in 2025.