Ranking Steelers' Best QB Options as Aaron Rodgers Watch Continues

The clock is ticking and the outcome to who starts at quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2024 campaign seems inevitable. It shouldn't be.

Steelers faithful have soured with their squad's descent into mediocrity. Oftentimes, head coach Mike Tomlin becomes the target, as if his message in the locker room has grown stale. To be fair, a 38-29-1 record over the last four seasons is a far cry from the organization's previous decades-long Super Bowl standard.

Is this the story of a coach whose message no longer resonates in the locker room? It's false. No way. Not this time. It's fiction.

In reality, the Steelers haven't been the same since Ben Roethlisberger retired. In the NFL, it's nearly impossible to win at a high level without a franchise quarterback. The Steelers' search continues, but none of the options are great for this upcoming season.

All the while, Aaron Rodgers' eventual signing feels like a foregone conclusion, as the organization awaits an official decision from the 41-year-old veteran. The Steelers do have other, better options available to them this season.

5. Skylar Thompson

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Skyler Thompson faces a Sisyphean-like uphill climb to factor into Pittsburgh's quarterback room.

Thompson brings some starting experience. The 2022 seventh-round draft pick started three games as a rookie for the Miami Dolphins because of injuries to Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater. Those three starts included Miami's postseason loss to the Buffalo Bills, where Thompson completed 40 percent of his passes.

The fourth-year quarterback has no stake in this particular quarterback setup. The Steelers are still likely to bring in an established veteran. If not, Mason Rudolph has a prior history with the organization, while Will Howard is a recent draft pick.

At best, Thompson may hang onto a spot as QB3. Maybe Pittsburgh stashes him on the practice squad. Otherwise, he has little chance to play a part in the Steelers' plans at quarterback beyond being a training camp arm and potential emergency fallback option.

4. Mason Rudolph

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Prior to any decision regarding an established veteran being brought into the mix, Mason Rudolph is preparing as if he's the Steelers' starting quarterback. It's not a new feeling.

"I just think it's a special place," Rudolph told reporters on Tuesday. "You know, I've got a lot of great friends and teammates here, a lot of comfortability with (head coach) Mike T(omlin) and the staff, and (general manager) Omar (Khan) put together a great roster. Who wouldn't want to be a part of this team and this offense?"

During the first six seasons after being drafted in the third round by the Steelers, the 29-year-old signal-caller started 13 games.

Here's the problem: Rudolph did nothing during his previous time in Pittsburgh to prove he could be the team's chosen starter. The same applies to his lone season with the Tennessee Titans, where Rudolph started five games during the 2024 campaign. In 29 career appearances, Rudolph completed 63.7 percent of his passes for 4,615 yards, with a 28-to-20 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

His standing with the team remains tenuous, even though he's being positioned to start at the moment.

"That's nothing new to me. There's been constant noise," Rudolph said of the Steelers possibly adding another quarterback. "That is the nature of the NFL. So I am used to that for a long time. Now I'm doing nothing but being the best I can be to help our team get better this spring."

3. Aaron Rodgers

AP Photo/Adrian Kraus

Despite being the obvious favorite to start for the Steelers this fall, Pittsburgh should reconsider the possibility of signing Aaron Rodgers.

Terry Bradshaw may be remembered now as a pregame television analyst, but his roots run deep with the Steelers organization as the starting quarterback during the Steel Curtain hey-day. Bradshaw is not a fan of Rodgers joining the team.

"That's a joke. That to me is just a joke," Bradshaw said during an interview on 103.7 The Buzz in Arkansas. "What are you going to do? Bring him in for one year, are you kidding me? That guy needs to stay in California. Go somewhere and chew on bark and whisper to the gods out there."

Obviously, Bradshaw's opinion has no bearing on how the organization operates. But it does speak to how many view Rodgers.

At 41 years old and clearly on the downside of the career, is Rodgers worth the potential headaches that he brings with him? Considering where he stands on this list, the answer is no.

Rodgers is no longer an MVP-caliber quarterback. According to Pro Football Focus, his 76.3 passing grade ranked 18th overall last season. He's a mediocre starting option with the mentality of a once-elite performer.

Is it worth potentially upsetting the locker room culture with Rodgers while not necessarily getting any better as a team?

The Steelers are already answering questions about Rodgers' whereabouts at organized team activities.

"I just feel like in the locker room, we're in there working and I think that's just really what it's about at this point," Alex Highsmith told reporters. "I know that if he does sign, we're definitely going to be really excited to have him. We know who he is. He's a Hall of Fame quarterback. He's one of the best to ever do it.

"I wouldn't say it's a distraction at all, but we all know what type of quarterback he is and what he brings to the table."

If the Steelers are just looking for an experienced and proven option to stabilize the position, someone else can add the same qualities.

2. Kirk Cousins

AP Foto/Rick Scuteri

The Steelers could be dead set on bringing in a veteran to provide a baseline and set a certain level of expectation—both in the locker room and on the field. If so, Kirk Cousins is a better choice to do so than Rodgers.

To be clear, Cousins would cost more to acquire.

First, the organization must come to terms with the Atlanta Falcons on trade compensation. Even if it's a late-round draft pick, Pittsburgh is giving up something it wouldn't if it opts for a free agent instead. Furthermore, compensation will be dependent on the amount of Cousins' contract the Steelers are willing to pay. The more they take on, the less the trade compensation will be and vice versa.

“I had some conversations with people this week that led me to believe that Cousins is, at the very least, on the Steelers’ radar if something were to fall through on Rodgers," Fowler said Monday on SportsCenter. "Cousins has $37.5 million in guarantees between this year and next year. Somebody’s on the hook for that money, whether it’s $4 million, $20 million, whatever it is.

"But the feeling around the league is that Atlanta has not been willing to budge on this. They haven't shown a lot of interest in trading Cousins. It would take a hefty price tag for another team to wiggle that out."

Everything is negotiable, and the Falcons aren't working from a position of strength. Their interest in trading Cousins will grow as the season nears and they're on the hook for the entirety of his contract despite moving on to Michael Penix Jr. as their starting quarterback.

Cousins' base salary sits at $27.5 million this season. Atlanta will be forced to eat a significant portion of that no matter how the situation plays out. The Steelers still have significant salary-cap space, both this year and next, though T.J. Watt's contract extension will need to get done sooner rather than later.

Despite those potential hangups, Cousins turns 37 later this year. He could realistically have two or three more years left in his career (after reworking his current contract). Whereas Rodgers is almost certainly a one-and-done candidate.

Yes, the Falcons benched Cousins last year. But the team also had a top-10 pick waiting in the wings. The four-time Pro Bowl honoree did start the season strong. In Pittsburgh, he'll simply be asked to execute the system, which should lean heavily on the Steelers' talented backfield, a young and promising offensive line and a strong play-action passing attack.

Lastly, Cousins played close to the same level as Rogers last season while not bringing the same amount of drama to his respective franchise. It's easier to sell Cousins' capabilities than the potentially disruptive inclusion of a mercurial talent.

1. Will Howard

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

By starting sixth-round rookie Will Howard, the Steelers will find themself in a win-win situation, even if it comes with losing quite a bit.

Mediocrity is the worst state of being in the NFL, and it's often comprised of solidly constructed, well-coached teams that are missing a key element, usually consistent quarterback play.

Currently, Pittsburgh has been good enough to make the postseason in four of the last five seasons, only to find the players packing up their lockers after the playoffs' opening round. Conversely, the Steelers are nowhere near bad enough to find themselves among the top-five draft selections, which is where the likes of C.J. Stroud, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye are selected.

Quarterback play will continue to hold back the Steelers until another young prospect proves he can handle the offense and compete with Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson in the AFC.

Can Howard be that quarterback? The odds aren't in his favor. But the Steelers need to find out one way or the other.

Pittsburgh chose this year's national championship-winning quarterback with the 185th overall pick. No one is saying Howard is the next sixth-rounder to turn into Tom Brady. At the same time, he wasn't viewed as a late-round pick throughout the draft evaluation process. There's more to Howard's game than a typical Day 3 quarterback, as Bleacher Report scout Dame Parson wrote:

Howard is a plus-level athlete with good size and stature. He has the athleticism for designed quarterback runs. In the low red zone, Howard's rushing ability forces defenses to play them honestly and factor him into their run defense. He navigates the pocket fairly well, sliding from pressure, and will break the pocket if defensive pressure flushes him out. Howard's big frame increases effectiveness near the goal; he will lower his shoulder to force his way into the end zone.

Regarding the passing game, Howard operates well within the short and intermediate parts of the field. He flashes good velocity from zero to 15 yards down the field. Designed and isolated quick-passing concepts work well for Howard as they provide easy ways to attack the defense and get into a rhythm. He attacks the seam routes well, throwing with the right amount of velocity and touch based on the defensive coverage. Howard throws down the field with good touch and ball placement, landing over the receiver's shoulders.

The 6'4", 236-pound rookie has the frame, athleticism and enough arm talent to make an impression, as long as he continues to improve his lower-body mechanics and post-snap reads. The Steelers could have selected Howard two or even three rounds earlier and no one would have blinked. Now, he's the best chance for the franchise to get out of the rut it's stuck in, either by playing well above his draft status or performing poorly enough to place the Steelers squarely among the top 10 draft-pick range for the first time in 25 years.