The Steelers hope the Minnesota Vikings will eventually reject quarterback Aaron Rodgers, which could lead to the future Hall of Famer playing for Pittsburgh rather than signing with the New York Giants or retiring.
For an article published on Thursday, analyst Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated’s MMQB staff ripped the Steelers for not attempting to land Geno Smith before the Las Vegas Raiders traded with the Seattle Seahawks for Smith’s services.
“Smith following (wide receiver) DK Metcalf to Pittsburgh could have been enough for this team to be more than a one-and-done playoff team,” Manzano said about the Steelers. “Yes, it wouldn’t have been ideal to cough up a third-round pick for Smith after relinquishing a second-rounder to Seattle in the Metcalf deal, but it’s clear the Steelers have no interest in rebuilding, so might as well act as an all-in franchise. Instead, the Steelers did what they’ve done for the past decade by being conservative and now are desperately waiting for Rodgers to call them back. And if he does, the Steelers are probably headed for another wild-card ouster or miss the playoffs altogether.”
At first glance, Manzano’s idea makes sense. Neither the Steelers nor Russell Wilson seems to be in any rush to resume that working relationship. There’s no sign the Steelers are close to acquiring Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons before the draft on April 24. Additionally, it’s difficult to imagine Pittsburgh wants to enter Week 1 in September with longtime backup Mason Rudolph atop its depth chart.
That said, Smith’s move from Seattle to Las Vegas was already the most likely end to that particular saga because he played under new Raiders head coach Pete Carroll from 2019 to 2023, when Carroll was the Seahawks’ coach. Meanwhile, the Steelers were never seriously linked with Smith this offseason.
According to Josh Carney of Steelers Depot, team insider Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported during a recent interview on local radio station 102.5 WDVE that the club is keen on signing a veteran quarterback to only a one-year deal. That’s noteworthy, considering it’s believed one reason Smith wanted to leave the Seahawks is because they wouldn’t meet his asking price for an extension.
It appears to outsiders that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin prefers to have Rodgers over Smith for the 2025 season. If Rodgers signs elsewhere or retires, Pittsburgh may have to work things out with Wilson, assuming he remains available through Rodgers’ free-agency journey.
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