Tim Benz: The unfortunate reality of the Steelers' QB situation

For all the podcast downloads, talk show air time, column space and television segments that have been dedicated toward figuring out what the Pittsburgh Steelers are doing at quarterback, one unfortunate reality exists: None of the feasible candidates that have been discussed offer much hope that the team is going to match last year’s 10-7 record, let alone improve upon it.

In an entirely hermetically sealed environment, I suppose that Aaron Rodgers could. Theoretically.

If he and the restrictive coaching staff could meet in the middle on how the offense should operate, maybe.

If he stays healthy all year behind a still young and developing offensive line, maybe. If DK Metcalf and George Pickens can coexist and present dueling deep threats that would test cornerbacks and pull safeties out of the box to aid the running game and Pat Freiermuth over the middle, maybe.

If we discover that the fountain at Point State Park is actually the Fountain of Youth, and Rodgers can transform into the guy who won the MVP in 2021, probably.

But that’s already a lot of “ifs” and almost as many “maybes.” Even if all the “ifs” and “maybes” come together to where Rodgers can drag the Steelers to become a 10-win team again, is that going to be good enough to make the Steelers a playoff winner for the first time since 2016?

Unlikely.

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Yet all the pontification and speculating over what the Steelers might do soared to new heights Friday when it was discovered that Rodgers was in Pittsburgh to check out the Steelers facilities and meet with the team about possibly signing a contract here.

That meant all the bloviating and posturing on what the Steelers have to do — or should have already done — to make themselves better at QB elevated as well.

The problem is, whether it’s Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Russell Wilson, or an incoming rookie at pick No. 21 (or later), I don’t see these Steelers being a better version of themselves in 2025. The same can be said if Justin Fields had been the quarterback. Perhaps even Sam Darnold.

My bet is any of those quarterbacks probably takes a similar path to seven or eight wins.

At best.

As I’ve previously advanced, that’s why I think there is as much support for Rudolph as there has been. He’s the easiest guy to get away from in 2026. He doesn’t cost much. The Steelers can make him the backup or release him with limited consequences, and at least fans here can get behind the redemption story that accompanies his return to Pittsburgh.

Boy, does it say a lot about the state of the quarterback search when the biggest variable is, “How easily can we move beyond the guy who gets the job this year in 2026?”

That doesn’t exactly inspire a lot of confidence for 2025.

Then again, in the big picture, maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Wherever that thin line is between confidence and false bravado, you can easily make the case that the Steelers have been on the wrong side of it for the past eight years.