Ben Roethlisberger addresses Steelers' Aaron Rodgers, NFL Draft situations

While some Pittsburgh Steelers fans seemingly aren't in love with the fact that the club continues to wait for quarterback Aaron Rodgers to announce his intentions for the 2025 season, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and team owner/president Art Rooney II made it known during the NFL owners meetings they have no exact Rodgers-related deadline in mind. 

On the latest episode of his "Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger" podcast, the Steelers legend addressed why he feels Rodgers is the best option for the club heading into the 2025 season. 

"The offense all of a sudden becomes a different team," Roethlisberger said, as shared by Ross McCorkle of Steelers Depot. "...That's Aaron Rodgers. I mean, that's a different animal. You can say what you want. 'He can't move quite like he used to.' This and the other. You know what still works? His arm and his brain. I think that's something that instantly makes this team, offensively, something to think about when you've got the weapons and that dude."

Tomlin and Co. seemingly agree that a healthy Rodgers can give the Steelers better quarterback play than what they got from Justin Fields and Russell Wilson this past season assuming the 41-year-old is fully recovered from the injuries to both of his knees, the low ankle sprain and the hamstring issue that hobbled him during his final campaign with the New York Jets. 

However, it's also no secret that Rodgers would probably sign with the Minnesota Vikings if they decided before the 2025 draft that they don't want to start 2024 first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy after he sat through all of last season while recovering from a full meniscus repair.

"I just think he thinks that Minnesota is a more complete, closer team to win a Super Bowl, and he might not be wrong," Roethlisberger added about Rodgers' mindset. 

Both the Steelers and Vikings are coming off playoff berths, but Minnesota was a Week 18 win away from entering the postseason tournament as the NFC's No. 1 seed. Both clubs suffered wild-card playoff losses in January. 

Meanwhile, multiple analysts have suggested throughout the spring that the Steelers could target Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart or Alabama's Jalen Milroe during the first round of the draft. Per Jake Brockhoff of Steelers Depot, Roethlisberger thinks Pittsburgh should address its offensive or defensive line during the draft's first round because the club could take a flier on a signal-caller via a third-round choice.  

For what it's worth, ESPN's Field Yates predicted in his latest mock draft published on Wednesday that Milroe will slide into the third round. Yates also had the Steelers taking Dart at pick No. 21.