The Pittsburgh Steelers have found themselves amidst trade talks lately, with every trade out there linking to them. And this time, the early speculations are linking them to the Dolphins‘ star Jalen Ramsey, with league insiders noting the Steelers as a potential trade destination. On The Pat McAfee Show, ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirmed that the Dolphins “continue to have conversations about trading Jalen Ramsey, and I think that a trade there will get done.”
Given the Steelers’ defensive ambitions and Ramsey’s All-Pro pedigree, it’s easy to see why Pittsburgh would emerge as a contender, especially with Miami motivated to shed his contract. Still, logistical hurdles remain. Why? Well, it’s Ramsey’s gigantic contract, which expires in 2029 and is far from ideal for any team to risk a trade. As per his three–year, $72.30 million contract extension, the 30-year-old corner is $25 million due in 2026, $26.8 million in 2027, and $36.1 million in 2028.
Now, let’s face it—Mike Tomlin and Co. have a significant salary-cap flexibility to pursue a Jalen Ramsey trade, no doubt. But don’t expect it to be as straightforward as it sounds. The reason? See it this way: with a massive financial burden, the Dolphins are reportedly forced to settle for a Day 3 draft pick if they’re to trade Ramsey. And that means only one thing: if the Steelers are in contention to trade for the corner, they might have to give up a 2026 fourth- or fifth-round draft pick. And that’s where it gets pretty messier.
Cue the quarterback issues that the Steelers have been facing for ages. At this point, Tomlin and his crew may have acquired Aaron Rodgers to settle ’em for the 2025 season. But what’s next? Aaron Rodgers reportedly plans to hang up his cleats after the 2025 season. And of course, they’ve got Will Howard and Mason Rudolph. But the way things are shaping up, the Steelers plan to select a franchise quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Newly signed quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers Aaron Rodgers 8 works out at the Steelers Mini-Camp on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 in Pittsburgh. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY PIT2025061007 ARCHIExCARPENTER
And considering they’re entering the 2025 season with a standout roster, Pittsburgh would need to move up to draft a franchise quarterback next year. That’s what Chris Carter of the Lockdown Steelers Podcast believes. A couple of days ago, Carter sat down on his podcast and talked about the rumors swirling around a potential trade between the Steelers and Ramsey.
However, Carter noted a couple of things that could hold this trade at this point in the offseason and explained that the Steelers might not want to come up off of any serious draft capital. “The Steelers probably don’t want to come up off of any serious draft capital because they want to keep that draft most of the bigger draft capital so that they can trade up and get a quarterback next year,” Carter explained.
Now, let’s clarify one thing: it sometimes is close to impossible to get a top-tier CB, and the Steelers might have a chance to trade for Ramsey this offseason. But it’s safe to say that Mike Tomlin is probably looking at this quarterback room as well. Will they? Won’t they? That we shall see. But amidst this, Aaron Rodgers has arrived in Pittsburgh, and he’s pretty much certain about his new role besides throwing dimes.
Mike Tomlin got a mentor for his young QBs
Aaron Rodgers spent his first three years with the Packers serving as a backup to Brett Favre. Fast forward to 2020, when Rodgers was leading the Packers’ offense, Green Bay decided to draft a rookie. A quarterback from Utah, Jordan Love. Rodgers’ response when he found out about that? Well, Matt LaFleur revealed that the 41-year-old quarterback was “shocked” when Green Bay moved up to pick Love.
To spice things up, even Rodgers himself recalled that moment on the Netflix documentary Aaron Rodgers: Enigma, thinking “No f‑king way” upon hearing of the selection. Now, add the Steelers’ lens to this situation in 2025, as the Steelers have signed Rodgers on a one-year deal, and they’ve already got a rookie quarterback from Ohio, Will Howard. But the kicker?
Well, the situation has changed. During the minicamp, Rodgers sat down right next to Howard (Howard, of course, shocked) and talked about a couple of things that they hadn’t really gone through yet, taking up a mentor role for the young quarterback. While joining Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette YouTube channel, Howard then shed light on his interaction with the four-time MVP.
“He’s been so awesome to me so far,” Howard said. “Obviously, we’ve only gotten to be together for about three days, but I got a really good feeling about him [and] about this whole QB room… Aaron has been so willing to help me. He’s like, ‘Literally, as much or as little as you want me to help you, I’ll be there.”
Rodgers, on the other hand, laid out things plainly and simply about his new role in Pittsburgh. “I’m gonna be with him (Howard) every single day in every single meeting… found my seat next to him.” Safe to say that Aaron Rodgers has arrived in Pittsburgh for one last dance—probably. But he’s crystal clear about his mentorship role for the young QB as well. A good thing for Mike Tomlin.
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