Back in March, the buzz around Pittsburgh was all about Shedeur Sanders. Shedeur’s draft stock surely slipped down from a top 5 prospect to No. 21, but at least he was still projected to be a first-round guy. Dane Brugler of The Athletic had the Steelers grabbing him at No. 21, calling him a “wild card” who could go top six or fall out of the first round entirely.
Even Albert Breer noted a “growing acceptance” inside the Steelers’ front office that Sanders might be their guy if he slipped. But when the draft night came, the Steelers went defense, snagging Derrick Harmon instead. That left fans—and former players—stunned. Ryan Clark, ex-Steeler and ESPN analyst, couldn’t believe it, shouting, “What the hell?! Mason Rudolph?!” But the drama didn’t stop there.
Mike Tomlin and Co. passed on Shedeur again and again that at one point, it seemed like they were not even interested in picking Sanders. Turns out the Steelers were indeed not interested in drafting Shedeur. And we aren’t just talking about the 21st overall pick. While speaking on the Rich Eisen Show about the Steelers ditching Shedeur, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette insider Gerry Dulac revealed that Pittsburgh wasn’t interested in picking Shedeur at all.
“Despite what all the national people thought, they did not intend to draft him,” Dulac said. “If he was there in the sixth round, maybe. But the people that had him going to the Steelers and had him going at 21, that just wasn’t going to happen. No quarterback was going at 21. That includes Jaxson Dart, who they did have a first-round grade on.” See, considering the Steelers are stuck in QB limbo, they initially were expected to pick a QB in the first round.
Why did the @steelers ultimately pass on selecting Shedeur Sanders? Was he ever a possibility to land in Pittsburgh?#NFL #NFLDraft #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/wr7GWA6hcY
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) April 29, 2025
To make it more obvious, they even had a pre-draft visit with Sanders. The interesting part? Well, they also had a pre-draft visit with other QB prospects as well. We’re talking Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe. But nah, they didn’t draft none of ’em. Instead, they picked Will Howard in the sixth round. What does that mean, you ask?
Simple—the Steelers weren’t just lukewarm on Shedeur. Nah, the truth is, they had zero plans to take any quarterback to be their next franchise guy. That just wasn’t in the cards. “But, you know, they had other quarterbacks in the middle of the round that they thought that they might be interested in,” Dulac continued. “But, you know, the quarterback was not going to be a priority.” Long story short: from the start, Pittsburgh had plans to ditch a QB in the 2025 NFL draft.
In fact, they’re probably planning to pick a QB in the 2026 NFL draft, who could be their franchise QB. To make it spicier, the next year’s draft is scheduled to be held in Pittsburgh. But what about the 2025 season? I mean, there’s no way you’re going to start with Mason Rudolph or the rookie QB.
Mike Tomlin could trade for Kirk Cousins
At this point, the Steelers are sitting with three quarterbacks on their roster—Mason Rudolph, Skylar Thompson, and the rookie, Will Howard. But Mike Tomlin is still one QB less to achieve his dream of 4 QBs on the roster. And amid this, the rumor mill is still buzzing (it’s been months) that they’re going to sign Aaron Rodgers. When Rich Eisen asked Tomlin about the Rodgers situation, the head coach noted that there’s still a possibility.
“That’s certainly a possibility–I’m not going to forecast the ifs and whens regarding not only him but any other potential free agent. We’ve had really productive talks with him, and I’ve enjoyed having productive talks with him.” But let’s not kid ourselves—it’s been ages since Rodgers’ visit to the Steelers’ facility and there’s still no deal on the table. So here’s the big question: would Mike Tomlin and Co. pivot their plans from Rodgers?
Well, they could. In fact, Kirk Cousins is open to a trade and is looking to join a team where he could start. Before the draft, the Browns were a decent option for Cousins. But now that they have Shedeur, so it’s unlikely Cousins would leave for Cleveland. Enter the Steelers who are still searching for a starting QB. That’s where The Athletic’s Dianna Russini comes in.
Before the drafts, Dianna wrote, “The Browns, Steelers, and possibly Vikings could be involved in a Cousins trade. – It’s believed that Cousins would be against any trade that involves sending him to a situation involving a young QB, similar to the situation he faced in Atlanta last year.” Sure, the Steelers drafted Will Howard, but he’s not going to be their QB1—not that soon.
In that case, Atlanta wants to trade Kirk Cousins. Cousins is looking for a team where he could start. Mike Tomlin wants a starting QB. All in all, there’s a possibility that the Steelers trade for Cousins—unless Aaron Rodgers decides to join them.
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