Steelers Next QB Plan Revealed

The Pittsburgh Steelers have seemingly put together a contingency plan of sorts in case they lose out on Aaron Rodgers.

While appearing on 102.5 DVE, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac reported that the Steelers would look to bring in a veteran signal caller who would slot in behind Mason Rudolph should Rodgers make it clear that he won't sign with the team.

"I believe and have been told that if it's not Aaron Rodgers, that we'll find a veteran quarterback to back up Mason Rudolph," Dulac said.

The open market isn't exactly overflowing with enticing options at quarterback, but the Steelers have backed themselves into a corner at the position given how steadfast they've been in their pursuit of Rodgers.

The organization decided against picking a signal caller early in the 2025 NFL Draft, instead taking Ohio State's Will Howard in the sixth round, and have rolled into OTAs with Rudolph as QB No. 1.

Carson Wentz, who spent the 2024 campaign with the Kansas City Chiefs and has plenty of starting experience throughout his career, is the unquestioned top option left behind Rodgers.

For that reason, it isn't super surprising that Pittsburgh would feel most comfortable having Rudolph lead the offense in 2025. He's been in the building since March, and though he's never previously played under Arthur Smith, he has plenty of familiarity with the team as a whole considering he was on the roster from 2018 to 2023 before joining the Tennessee Titans last year.

Dulac's comments seem to indicate that Kirk Cousins wouldn't emerge as a realistic target in a world where Rodgers spurns the Steelers, as the former is still under contract with the Atlanta Falcons and would require a significant financial commitment in any potential deal.

Losing out on Rodgers is a worst-case scenario, but Pittsburgh is at least exploring its secondary options should he not land with the team.