Roethlisberger Reveals Key Factor in Steelers' Rodgers 'Saga'

The 2025 NFL Draft is almost here, and the Pittsburgh Steelers still don’t have a starting quarterback. Maybe Mason Rudolph eventually gets the green light, or a rookie is taken at No. 21. But Aaron Rodgers remains the favorite, even as his radio silence grows louder.

It isn’t quite clear why Rodgers has taken so long to make his decision, outside of the enormity of choosing the setting for his final NFL season(s). The Steelers are one of the very few teams that still need a starting quarterback, especially with the incoming class factored in. Among those teams, Pittsburgh easily has the most surrounding talent.

And yet, Rodgers is waiting, steadfast in his patience. Perhaps he’s waiting for something more promising to open up.

On his “Footbahlin’” podcast, former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger explained the key factor in the Aaron Rodgers “saga,” another team entering the sweepstakes late.

"My thought last week … was that, ‘Is there a chance that there's a team out there that we don’t know about yet that has a quarterback that’s maybe is injured?'" Roethlisberger said. “Then what news did we learn this week? We learned that Derek Carr has a shoulder injury and may miss the whole season … That’s a new door that’s opened up in the saga."

Carr could complicate things by opening up an opportunity with the New Orleans Saints. But even a fully healthy Saints team isn’t expected to do much in a modest NFC South.

It’s an opening, but is it more enticing than Pittsburgh? Not on paper, although not having to play Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow twice each year makes New Orleans a bit more viable.

Ultimately, it still isn’t clear what Rodgers is waiting for. It’s possible Pittsburgh has an assurance that he’ll put pen to paper. If not, the Steelers are in just as much limbo as their fanbase, intensifying the team’s potential need for a passer during the NFL Draft.

"Then it's just up to Aaron. Do they want Aaron? Would Aaron want to go there? Would they rather go to the draft? So there’s still a lot of questions, but it's still interesting that that is there."