Patience, Steelers fans, patience. Because Pittsburgh’s quarterback situation still remains as one of the league’s greatest uncertainties, only days before the NFL Draft. A major credit goes to Aaron Rodgers for it. Art Rooney said the plan was coming together. But the door is still open, according to Rich Eisen. What about Mike Tomlin? He has been balancing between improvisation and a poker face. They’ve got Mason Rudolph under contract. They’ve got a new offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith. But they lack a long-term strategy and a definite starter.
This week, Rich Eisen and veteran reporter Gerry Dulac on The Rich Eisen Show lit the fuse on Pittsburgh’s quarterback mystery by analysing the Steelers’ present QB limbo. And while nothing is written in stone, what they discussed could point to Tomlin’s increasingly practical—and less Aaron Rodgers-focused—mindset.
Rich Eisen opened with a direct question: “So is it possible we go home from Green Bay, Gerry Dulac, that the Steelers don’t take a quarterback in this draft and are ready for Mason Rudolph to start… or you think they do add a rookie with a Friday night or a Saturday pick, and that kid has a shot to compete with Mason Rudolph if Rodgers stays in Malibu, Gerry?”
With the cool accuracy of someone who has spent enough time with the Steelers to understand what is being said, Dulac did not rule out that possibility. In fact, he cracked it wide open. “I think yeah. I think that they will come out of the draft with a quarterback. And because they don’t have a number two pick… but I can tell you that they are not sitting here thinking we need to get that number two pick back. They are content to look at DK Metcalf as their second-round draft pick because that’s what they gave up to get them.” Translation: This isn’t a team panicking for a QB. This is a team waiting for the right price, or willing to ride with what they’ve got.
Could the @steelers 2025 starting quarterback be on another team heading into the #NFLDraft? And why is Kirk Cousins’ name being thrown around?#NFL #NFLDraft #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/ghbjuNyXCi
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) April 18, 2025
But then came the real question. Eisen revealed the name that has been whispered about—Kirk Cousins: “What about Kirk Cousins, Jerry? He sits in the number two spot in Atlanta.” Eisen floated the possible irony of Arthur Smith, the new offensive coordinator for the Steelers, getting back together with a QB the Falcons just paid and then drafted over.
Dulac didn’t deny it. But he called it “part of the thought process,” while immediately pumping the brakes on how serious that thought is. “That’s correct. And I will tell you that is part of a thought process.” So yes, Cousins is on the board, but it’s a slim chance. The Steelers aren’t exactly looking to cough up premium draft capital for a 36-year-old quarterback, especially when they already have Rudolph. “And so, but that would be a possibility. And, you know, I would think it would be somewhere between possible and slim, but I will tell you that it’s part of a thought process. I just don’t know how serious it is.”
Therefore, the Steelers appear to be hedging—ready to jump on a trade for Cousins if the Falcons are prepared to deal—while Rodgers continues his offseason journey in Malibu.
Aaron Rodgers breaks silence with $10M offer
Aaron Rodgers, who has been silent for months, is suddenly speaking up while Pittsburgh quietly assesses Kirk Cousins. And the headline? He’ll play for $10 million.
Rodgers made his first public appearance since the Jets revealed their intention to cut him in February when he spent 40 minutes on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday. He dispelled gossip, corrected the record, and assigned a particular cost to his upcoming chapter: “It ain’t about the money. I’ll play for $10M. I never said that I need a multi-million, multi-year deal… I told every single one of the teams, it’s not about the money … I’ll play for [$10 million], I don’t care.”
He made it clear this wasn’t a leverage play: “I’m not holding anybody hostage—I really want to emphasize that. … I’m just going through a lot in my personal life that has to take precedent at this point. … At the same time, I want to keep the lines of communication open […] Listen, this entire time I haven’t felt like I owed somebody any decision at some point. I’ve been upfront with them about that. If you need to move on, call me, by all means. … There’s been no deadline. And yeah, I’ve talked to Mike (Tomlin) many times.”
Aaron Rodgers also addressed the speculation that he pitched himself to the Vikings: “That’s not accurate either.” And when it came to the Steelers? Rodgers showed genuine interest. “It’s different when you’re talking on the phone. Luckily, with my lack of service here, it’s a lot of FaceTimes but it’s different in person. I just personally wanted to see what it was like there. See the facility, get to meet Omar in person, get a glimpse, a snippet of what life would be like in Pittsburgh… I also wanted to do it as quietly as possible.”
The Steelers may be moving on as Rodgers waits and claims he’s “open to anything and attached to nothing.” Decisively, but quietly, and with caution. And unless something changes fast, Aaron Rodgers might be left in Malibu, watching Pittsburgh ride into 2025 with Kirk Cousins under center… and $10 million still sitting on the table.
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