What is the Steelers’ Plan B at quarterback if Aaron Rodgers retires?
While many have assumed that Aaron Rodgers will be the Steelers’ quarterback, the organization must have contingency plans. A lot of fans and analysts, of course, don’t want Rodgers to return. Some have their heart set on Malik Willis, the “top” free-agent quarterback who has only 155 career pass attempts.
The Steelers wanted Rodgers to be their quarterback enough to wait for him to sign just before mandatory minicamp last year. I don’t imagine they will be that patient again this year, but they have a new coaching staff. That staff features Mike McCarthy, his former head coach in Green Bay. With him, McCarthy also brought along some other faces familiar to Rodgers, like OL coach James Campen.
We should also step back and weigh the situation, however. Publicly, the Steelers have made it sound like they want Aaron Rodgers back as their quarterback. McCarthy said it outright, and before that, Steelers owner Art Rooney II acknowledged that Mike Tomlin’s resignation would negatively affect the likelihood of his return.
But there was always a chance he wouldn’t return anyway, so what is their Plan B? If Aaron Rodgers retires, do the Steelers want to sign another veteran quarterback? Might they be open to a trade, such as for Mac Jones? Do they really believe in Malik Willis, and if so, at what price? Might they be higher on Ty Simpson than we know? Or maybe, just maybe, the gassing of Will Howard is more than just lip service.
It’s all too early to say, but we could start seeing answers, or hints of answers, soon. Steelers GM Omar Khan will speak at the Combine next week, and you know reporters will ask him about Rodgers and the quarterback position in general. It’s a pretty big topic, after all, and is ripe for the picking for all the sports talk shows. By now, we’ve heard just about everybody’s opinion about what will or should happen. Everybody’s but Aaron Rodgers.
The Steelers exited the playoffs in the first round yet again, a pattern going back to 2017. With seven consecutive postseason losses and no wins in nearly a decade, they are facing another long, long offseason. No doubt we will see many changes, but none will top Mike Tomlin’s resignation.
The NFL has crowned its latest champion, but for the Steelers and us, we have been in offseason mode. That’s what happens when the team you cover loses by the middle of January all the time, but you’ve been around, so you know that already. Enjoy the ride, even the turbulence, because it’s the only way we know how to travel anymore.