In the words of ESPN NFL Nation reporter Brooke Pryor, “the Pittsburgh Steelers are between A. Rodgers and a hard place.” After watching both of their 2024 starting quarterbacks walk in free agency — Justin Fields to the New York Jets, Russell Wilson to the New York Giants — the Steelers appear to have pushed all of their chips to the center of the table, in a bet that they can land free agent future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers.

But despite predictions that Rodgers is a “safe bet” to sign with Pittsburgh, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Focus has said, the 41-year-old, 20-year veteran is also reportedly considering retirement — or even heading north to the Minnesota Vikings. According to one report, Rodgers has informed the Vikings that they are his “preferred team.”

Rodgers visited the Steelers facilities last week, where he met with coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Omar Khan, as well as with owner Art Rooney II, but left Pittsburgh with no deal in place. But as Pryor reported, the eccentric quarterback has never let outside factors influence his decision making, and is prone to move at his own pace, and take actions based solely on his own sometimes inscrutable reasons.

Steelers Need to Move Fast in Acquiring a QB

“The Steelers, though, don’t have the luxury of time,” Pryor wrote. “The closer the Steelers get to the draft — which kicks off in less than a month — the more urgent figuring out a contingency plan becomes.”

If Rodgers continues to drag out the process, as seems likely, or ultimately decides that Pittsburgh is not the place for him, what do the Steelers do then? At the moment, their quarterback room consists of their own 2018 third-round pick Mason Rudolph, and Skylar Thompson, a 2022 seventh-round selection of the Miami Dolphins. Neither is likely to instill much confidence in Steelers fans, who have now seen their team go since 2016 without winning a single playoff game, and have lost five in a row.

The franchise is tied with the New England Patriots for the NFL record of six Super Bowl victories, but has not raised the Lombardi Trophy since 2008. Neither Mason nor Thompson would appear likely to alter that trajectory this season or any time in the future.

According to Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports, one “logical” and “low-risk” option at quarterback for Pittsburgh would be the New England Patriots 2024 sixth-round draft pick, 193rd overall, Joe Milton III. The 25-year-old Milton has been mentioned in Steelers trade speculation on several occasions previously.

Patriots QB Among Most Athletically Gifted in NFL

While Milton is considered raw and his collegiate numbers were unimpressive, the 25-year-old is considered one of the most atheistically gifted quarterbacks to enter the NFL, perhaps since Cam Newton was drafted No. 1 overall by the Carolina Panthers out of Auburn in 2011. Milton was the 2023 Orange Bowl MVP, tossing for three touchdowns and 251 yards, in Tennessee’s 31-14 downing of Clemson.

Milton has been repeatedly seen on video throwing a football 80 yards in training sessions, and his eye-opening single game in 2024, against the Buffalo Bills in Week 18, he was recorded unleashing the second-fastest past (61.7 mph) in the history of recorded NFL passes.

Milton is currently on his rookie contract, for just $4.2 million over four years, with three remaining, making his financial risk to the Steelers almost non-existent.

“Even if they added another veteran to the room, Milton could be a low-risk acquisition to come in and compete for the starting job over the summer,” Sullivan wrote. “Given his ability to throw the football a country mile, he’d be fascinating to see with DK Metcalf and George Pickens at his disposal.”

Jonathan Vankin JONATHAN VANKIN is an award-winning journalist and writer who now covers baseball and other sports for Heavy.com. He twice won New England Press Association awards for sports feature writing. Vankin is also the author of five nonfiction books on a variety of topics, as well as nine graphic novels including most recently “Last of the Gladiators” published by Dynamite Entertainment. More about Jonathan Vankin