ESPN football analyst Dan Orlovsky (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The Pittsburgh Steelers are in need of a quarterback heading into the 2025 NFL Draft.
As things currently stand, the Steelers—who are coming off playoff berths in back-to-back seasons—have Mason Rudolph as their projected starter. While Rudolph certainly has experience and has previously led the Steelers to a playoff berth, Pittsburgh is looking for a more established quarterback under center.
Steelers’ Quarterback Options: Rodgers, Rookies, or Risk?
While the Steelers have clearly shown interest in signing 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers, it’s unclear whether or not the four-time MVP will play during the 2025 season. Pittsburgh holds the No. 21 overall pick in the draft, which means they could be in the running for the likes of Jalen Milroe, Jaxson Dart, or even Shedeur Sanders if the Colorado Buffaloes product unexpectedly slips in the draft.
ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky understands that the Steelers could very well draft Sanders—the No. 2 ranked quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft—if he drops, but says Dart and Milroe actually make more sense for Pittsburgh due to their strengths in the deep ball department. The Steelers currently have two deep-ball threats at receiver in George Pickens and former Seattle Seahawks wideout DK Metcalf.
“Pittsburgh’s offensive line is not very good,” Orlovsky says in a one-on-one interview with RG on behalf of NFL and AWS’s new analytics platform, Draft IQ. “Those two receivers that they have on the outside, you really want to throw the ball downfield to them and you want to take your shots. I would tell you that I actually think Dart makes a little bit more sense to the Steelers or even Milroe because that’s their strength.”
Sanders: Better Fit in Pittsburgh or New Orleans?
Orlovsky argues that Sanders could make better sense from a schematic standpoint for the New Orleans Saints rather than the Steelers. The Saints hold the No. 9 pick and Derek Carr’s status for the 2025 season is in limbo due to his shoulder injury. Regardless, Carr is 34 years old and it may be time for the Saints to be thinking about their franchise quarterback, which could very well be Sanders.
From a pro player comparison perspective, Orlovsky likes to compare Sanders to Brock Purdy and Tua Tagovailoa. Both are proven winning quarterbacks who have either been MVP candidates or Pro Bowl players. However, neither quarterback is known for their deep ball traits or ability to take over and carry teams to victories.
They’re more so known for their ability to distribute and execute in the short passing game.
“When I think of Purdy and Tua, you don’t think of launching the ball down the field,” says Orlovsky.
“You think of the horizontal passing game, pinpoint accuracy, yards after the catch. Pittsburgh—from the theoretical perspective of it—1,000% (makes sense), Mike Tomlin is business and work-centric. But from a schematic standpoint, I actually can make a case for the Saints scheme-wise making a little bit more sense than the Steelers.”
While Orlovsky wouldn’t go so far as to say that Milroe is the “ideal” quarterback for the Steelers, he would understand why they would go that route considering he’s drawing comparisons to Lamar Jackson, the best dual-threat quarterback in the NFL. It just so happens that Jackson is the starting quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers’ biggest division rival.
If Pittsburgh wants to truly compete with Baltimore, they may have to find their own dynamic quarterback, which could very well be Milroe. The former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback is coming off of a 20-TD season rushing the football. Orlovsky mentions how well Justin Fields played for the Steelers under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith—he went 4-2 as the starter last season—and how Smith likes athletic quarterbacks, which is exactly what Milroe is.
“I don’t know if it’s ideal, but I can see it,” says Orlovsky of Milroe’s fit with the Steelers.
“I think that the coach (Smith) likes that athletic profile quarterback. They got two receivers that are big-play guys down the field and Milroe throws it down the field. Smith loves to run the football, so I can understand it now. You’re so scarred from having to play Lamar Jackson twice a year, and you’re like, we always got to get ready for that guy. Can we have somebody that makes everybody else get ready for us? I’ve understood the Jalen-to-Pittsburgh thought a little bit more than I had in the past.”
Orlovsky acknowledges that the Steelers need to be “aggressive” in the draft due to not knowing what Rodgers’ plans are, considering retirement is still an option for the veteran quarterback.
“I don’t have a good feeling either way,” says Orlovsky of whether or not Rodgers is going to play for the Steelers. “We’ve gotten to the draft, and you still don’t know whether he does or doesn’t want to play. Probably shouldn’t impact what you do now, because if he’s not in yet, I have no idea if he’s going to play there. If you’re the Steelers, you’re in a really difficult situation. I would implore them to be aggressive in the draft, or you’re going to be behind the eight ball big time at that position.”
Pittsburgh’s Closing Window: Urgency at Quarterback
The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season, which means they haven’t done so since T.J. Watt entered the league in 2017. Watt will be 31 years old this season, and many of the Steelers’ defensive standouts are getting older. In other words, the time to win is now after many early playoff exits.
“If you’re the Steelers, Cam Heyward’s 36 years old, T.J. Watt is 31 years old and Minkah Fitzpatrick’s going to be 29,” says Orlovsky. “You’re not that young of a football team anymore. You’re sitting there watching some all-time greats play pretty darn good football still.
When asked who the Steelers should draft if Milroe, Dart, and Sanders end up becoming available at the No. 21 pick, Orlovsky says either Sanders or Dart. He says stylistically, Dart makes more sense for the Steelers. However, it would be hard for Pittsburgh to pass on Sanders due to his “pedigree.”
“It would be between Shedeur and Jaxson Dart,” says Orlovsky. “Stylistically, my brain tells me Dart just because of those receivers, but I think it would be hard just because of the pedigree of Shedeur, not to have Shedeur be a part of your organization. That would be a tough one. That’d be a very interesting decision.”
DJ Siddiqi
