Most surprisingly, it suggested the ability to add veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers despite him not being featured in their squad or talk. Instead, Rodgers could have been lounging at home in Malibu, enjoying the view of dolphins darting through the Pacific. In the interim, the Steelers were taking turns that seemed to be impacted by his omnipresence.
In somewhat of a shocker, the Steelers passed on four chances to draft a quarterback. Lastly, their selection of Will Howard shows their attention to talent on the current roster while projecting forward. The franchise opted for Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon in the first round, despite having several quarterbacks available, including Cam Ward. On its face, this move immediately caused a stir over what it indicated about the team’s plans for their quarterback position going forward.
Art Rooney II, the Steelers team president, made clear that their draft choices were not dependent on whether Rodgers came. “We did not factor in whether Aaron is coming or not into that,” he stated. This echoed the goal of keeping the organization focused on the short-term needs of the existing team, not future acquisitions.
Even Mike Tomlin, the head coach of the Steelers, conceded that Rodgers is the sort of quarterback who could save his job. In doing so, he pushed back against the drama that usually accompanies big name trades. Their deliberate, no-frills approach was refreshing to see as the draft unfolded. In other words, they turned their attention to shoring up their offensive line, missing out on some other quarterback prospects along the way.
The Steelers turned heads by taking Harmon that high in the draft while signal-callers such as Shedeur Sanders were still on the board. On the second day of the draft, they looked at many different potential quarterbacks and passed on all of them. This even extended to their top prospect, Jalen Milroe, who had interviewed with team officials at his pro day. Instead, they traded up repeatedly to stack an all-time great defensive lineup.
We ended up with the player we wanted,” stated Omar Khan, the team’s general manager – doubling down on the idea of a stout defensive strategy even if it meant passing over future quarterbacks. The Steelers took a flexible approach with an aggressive pick of Howard. This decision underscores their dedication to long-term growth instead of taking shortcuts with quarterbacks on hand.
Art Rooney II further clarified their stance on drafting a quarterback by stating, “If we do draft a quarterback — and we still might — it’s probably not going to be somebody who is going to start for us this year. It’s going to be somebody who is developing and may play down the road.” This point of view reinforces the team’s central tenet of talent development. It reaffirmed the need for objective deliberation, untethered to outside political interests.
Over the course of the three-day event, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin personally called the seven draftees. Even more surprisingly, none of those discussions featured Aaron Rodgers. The absence of direct communication with Rodgers underscores his lack of involvement in the Steelers’ draft process, despite speculation surrounding his potential future with the team.
The follow-up question is how extensively Rodgers shaped the Steelers’ draft strategy. Whether it was in a dark cave slowly meditating, or next to the ocean on some yoga retreat, who knows. His reputation and experience cast a long shadow over the choices Pittsburgh made. The team’s strategy shows that they have a serious eye on their future possibilities. For the moment, they’re focused on building a more competitive roster for the departing 2023 season.
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