What the Steelers’ draft says about their confidence in signing Aaron Rodgers

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PITTSBURGH — By drafting defensive tackle Derrick Harmon in the first round and running back Kaleb Johnson in the third, the Pittsburgh Steelers filled important needs and found value with players who should fit their scheme nicely.

A third year of emphasizing the trenches and investing in players who can lead a run-heavy offense has the Steelers in a good position over the long term to play the brand of football they desire.

“It goes beyond the defensive front,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “We wanted to retool physicality in all areas.”

Though the Steelers accomplished that goal with their seven-player haul, there’s just one question: Who is going to throw the ball to DK Metcalf?

Even as the Aaron Rodgers saga has dragged on longer than anyone anticipated, the Steelers have remained optimistic that the 41-year-old, four-time MVP will eventually join the team. There’s still no deadline and no official word from Rodgers’ camp, but there were several clues along the way that suggest the veteran QB could be coming to Pittsburgh.

Let’s take a look at the checklist.

No early-round QB

On Tuesday, Tomlin said Rodgers’ ongoing indecision wouldn’t change the Steelers’ approach in the draft. However, he did acknowledge that adding a significant player at the position could, in some way, impact their pursuit of Rodgers.

The underwhelming draft class at the QB position didn’t give the Steelers a major opportunity to make an aggressive move. But they passed on several possible options.

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart was still on the board when the Steelers were on the clock at No. 21. Of the available options, Dart would have been the only quarterback who really could have made the Steelers think twice about waiting around for Rodgers. (By passing on Shedeur Sanders three times in the first four rounds, Pittsburgh clearly didn’t see the Colorado quarterback as a needle-mover.)

However, by drafting a defensive lineman in Round 1 and waiting all the way until the sixth round to select Ohio State QB Will Howard, the Steelers were looking for a developmental piece for the future, not someone who could challenge Rodgers for QB1 status.

On NFL Network, Tomlin was asked if the Steelers’ passing on QBs until the sixth round suggests Rodgers is coming to Pittsburgh.

“I’ll give you the latitude to run with it,” Tomlin said with a smirk. “Because I know you will anyway.”

No Kirk Cousins trade

At the annual league meeting in March, Khan said it was a “fair assumption” that the Steelers would eventually add a veteran quarterback. If Pittsburgh is going to explore a player not named Rodgers, Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins would be one of the few other remaining options.

Cousins, who is due $27.5 million in guaranteed money this year and a $10 million roster bonus in 2026, has a no-trade clause. He was waiting to waive it until after Round 1, because he wanted to avoid a situation like last year, when he signed a handsome, four-year deal only to watch the Falcons draft Michael Penix Jr. a month and a half later.

It’s still worth monitoring the Cousins’ trade market, but the fact that the Steelers haven’t yet made that move is another breadcrumb leading to Rodgers.

No Sam Howell trade

In addition to Cousins, Howell was the other quarterback on the trade block this weekend. However, the Steelers chose not to pursue that path, and Howell landed with the Vikings. That might not seem like a huge deal, but it could actually say more than you’d think.

If Rodgers does play next year, the Steelers and Vikings — who rebuffed Rodgers’ interest in March but did not rule out adding him at a later date — appear to be the most likely options. The fact that the Vikings added a backup reinforces the notion that they’re going to ride with J.J. McCarthy as QB1. Now they have a more established backup behind the rising second-year QB.

Similarly, if the Steelers had acquired Howell, he would have made most sense at QB2 behind Mason Rudolph as a way to add more experience to the depth chart. They didn’t, which suggests they feel Rodgers will sign, and there’s no need for another veteran in the room.

No George Pickens trade

The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported the Steelers were receiving calls about the availability of George Pickens throughout the draft, Khan ultimately did not trade the receiver during draft weekend. That might not seem like a decision related to the QB, but it is.

Behind the scenes, there’s a desire in the Steelers’ organization to give Rodgers a full arsenal of weapons to try to make a run in 2025. Had the Steelers moved Pickens, it could have indicated they were losing faith. Keeping Pickens suggests the Steelers are trying to surround Rodgers with as much firepower as possible.

Art Rooney II’s comments

At the NFL annual meeting, team president and owner Art Rooney II said the Steelers have received encouraging signs from Rodgers and that he expected a decision “soon.” But that was three weeks ago. It was fair to wonder if the Steelers might think or feel differently as the indecision lingers.

However, when Rooney spoke with Steelers Nation Radio during the draft, he provided even more optimism.

“We’re still kind of getting the same signals that we’ve been getting recently,” the owner said. “He does want to come here, so I do think we may get word soon.”

We’ll see how soon that decision comes, and whether it will be the outcome the Steelers are expecting.

(Photo: Luke Hales / Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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