It finally happened. After years of speculation and those cryptic Instagram posts from dark retreats, the Pittsburgh Steelers actually pulled the trigger. They brought in Aaron Rodgers to be the Steelers new quarterback 2025. Honestly, if you told a Pittsburgh fan three years ago that the guy who won Super Bowls in Green Bay would be wearing a Terrible Towel on his head, they’d have laughed you out of the South Side.
But 2025 was a weird year for the black and gold.
Mike Tomlin, in what turned out to be his final season before stepping away, decided to go all-in. No more "bridge" quarterbacks like Mitchell Trubisky or projects like Kenny Pickett. He wanted a Hall of Famer. He got one. The problem? Rodgers was 41 years old when the season kicked off. You could see the brilliance in flashes, sure, but the consistency just wasn't there like it used to be.
The 2025 Reality Check: Rodgers under Center
Pittsburgh’s offense in 2025 was a strange mix of high-level chess and "hold your breath" moments. Rodgers finished the regular season with respectable numbers, but it wasn't the MVP-level dominance the front office mortgaged the future for. We’re talking about a guy who threw for roughly 3,800 yards and 24 touchdowns. Good? Yes. Elite? Not anymore.
The Steelers snuck into the playoffs as a Wild Card, mostly on the back of T.J. Watt doing T.J. Watt things. Then came the Houston Texans.
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That Wild Card game was brutal. A 30-6 blowout where Rodgers looked every bit of 42 years old by the fourth quarter. He was sacked four times, and the mobility that used to make him a nightmare was basically gone. It was a "square peg, round hole" situation where the offensive line—featuring rookie center Zach Frazier and tackle Troy Fautanu—was playing for a different timeline than their quarterback.
Who else was in the room?
Rodgers wasn't the only story, even if he ate up all the oxygen. The depth chart had some familiar and fresh faces:
- Mason Rudolph: The ultimate survivor. He stayed on a one-year deal to be the veteran backup.
- Will Howard: The rookie from Ohio State. The Steelers grabbed him in the sixth round of the 2025 draft. He didn't play much, but the fans started chanting his name the second Rodgers threw an interception.
- Skylar Thompson: Brought in as a depth piece early in 2025 but spent a chunk of the year on IR with a hamstring issue.
Why the "Win Now" Strategy Backfired
Basically, the Steelers tried to buy a championship window that had already slammed shut. By trading for Rodgers and signing veterans like DK Metcalf and Jalen Ramsey, they pushed all their chips to the middle.
It felt desperate.
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The move for Rodgers was clearly a Mike Tomlin decision. He didn't want to rebuild. He wanted to win one more before he called it quits. Now that Tomlin is gone and Rodgers is hinting at retirement (again), the Steelers are left with a massive void at the most important position in sports.
Some analysts, like Mark Madden, have been vocal about how this "patchwork" approach set the franchise back. Instead of developing Justin Fields (who ended up with the Jets) or drafting a top-tier prospect in 2024, they chased a ghost. They got a playoff appearance, but they didn't get a Lombardi. For a franchise that measures success only in rings, 2025 feels like a wasted year.
Looking Toward 2026: The Anthony Richardson Rumors
So, what happens now? The Steelers new quarterback 2025 experiment is likely over. Reports from NFL insiders suggest Rodgers is "not expected" to return for the 2026 season. He came for Tomlin, and with Tomlin gone, the motivation seems to have evaporated.
The rumor mill is already spinning. One name that keeps popping up is Anthony Richardson.
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The former Colts first-rounder has had a rocky start to his career, mostly due to injuries and a lack of polish. But the physical tools? They’re insane. People in Pittsburgh are starting to wonder if a "low-risk, high-reward" trade for Richardson is exactly what the new coaching staff needs to modernize the offense.
There's also the draft. With the 21st pick, the Steelers might be looking at someone like Alabama’s Ty Simpson. He’s got the arm talent, but would the Steelers really start a rookie right away after the Pickett disaster? It’s a gamble either way.
Actionable Insights for Steelers Fans
- Prepare for a Reset: The "veteran mercenary" era is likely over. Expect the next head coach to want a young, mobile QB they can mold.
- Watch the Cap: Rodgers’ contract and the dead money from other veteran signings will make the 2026 free-agency period tricky. Don't expect huge splashes.
- Monitor the Draft: Keep an eye on the 2026 quarterback class. If the Steelers don't trade for a veteran, they are almost certainly going to use their first-round pick on a signal-caller.
- The Will Howard Factor: Don't sleep on the kid from Ohio State. He was the National Championship MVP for a reason. If the Steelers can't find a trade partner, he might get a "trial by fire" start in the 2026 preseason.
The Steelers are at a crossroads. The 2025 season showed that even a legend like Aaron Rodgers can't fix a team that lacks a long-term identity. Whether they go for a reclamation project like Richardson or a fresh face from the draft, the "new quarterback" saga in Pittsburgh is far from over.