The Pittsburgh Steelers waited all offseason for an answer from future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. While fans were getting frustrated with the wait, it paid off.
Rodgers agreed to a one-year deal with the Steelers ahead of mandatory minicamp. He then proceeded to show up and got to work immediately after signing his deal. Pittsburgh has its new starting quarterback.
Heading into the 2025 NFL season, there are a lot of questions surrounding the Steelers and Rodgers. Can he be the guy that leads Pittsburgh back to Super Bowl contention? Some believe he can, others simply don’t see that happening.
Aaron Rodgers #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers in action during Minicamp at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on June 10, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Aaron Rodgers #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers in action during Minicamp at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on June 10, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
There are also questions about how long this marriage will last between the two parties. Is Rodgers going to be the Steelers’ quarterback for just the 2025 season? Will he continue his career and keep playing in 2026?
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No one knows the answer to that question.
Despite that fact, Pittsburgh has already been linked to making a massive move for Rodgers’ future replacement.
Bleacher Report analyst Brad Gagnon has predicted that the Steelers will pull off a shocking trade deadline deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Gagnon believes that if the Buccaneers fall off in 2025, they could consider trading Mayfield. He thinks Pittsburgh would jump at the opportunity to acquire a quarterback who could lead the way long past the upcoming campaign.
On the outside in, this seems like an impossible prediction. Mayfield has latched on as the clear franchise quarterback in Tampa Bay. He has had back-to-back big years for the Buccaneers and it would be extremely shocking to see the team move on from him.
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Mayfield is coming off of a 2024 season with Tampa Bay that saw him complete 71.4 percent of his pass attempts for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. It just doesn’t seem likely at all that the Buccaneers would trade him this season.
While there are no guarantees in the NFL, Mayfield sticking with Tampa Bay seems almost a lock. However, if he were made available, the Steelers could make sense as a trade suitor.
Again, this is just an idea at this point. It’s an extremely bold and aggressive prediction that more than likely will not come true. But, it’s an intriguing thought.
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