Let’s cut to the chase. The Steelers’ quarterback situation is a mess. And if you think ex-NFLer Keyshawn Johnson was going to give Mike Tomlin a free pass, think again. The Super Bowl champ turned analyst weighed in on Pittsburgh’s plan, or lack of one, on FS1’s Speak. The Steelers are playing QB roulette, hoping one of these moves hits the jackpot. As the potential signing of Aaron Rodgers still remains unresolved, the Steelers’ efforts to reshape their QB roster are not making a breakthrough this draft season. It seems like Mike Tomlin’s optimism on Rodgers is taking a toll.

Keyshawn didn’t sugarcoat it. In the latest post by Speak, a daily sports show hosted by Joy Taylor, Keyshawn Johnson, and Paul Pierce, things went blunt.

The caption highlights Keyshawn’s key remark, “I like the Steelers’ plan at quarterback… until it fails.” He was incredulous about how the Steelers are proceeding. “You say that your plan is to… you’re not taking Shedeur at any level, right? At the quarterback position… at any one, two, three, four, five, six, seven… whatever. You didn’t want him in the building,” Keyshawn stated.

Here’s when things take a turn. The Steelers explicitly told teams they would not draft Shedeur Sanders in the sixth round, even if he was gift-wrapped. While Pittsburgh was busy crossing its arms about Shedeur, the Browns took him in Round 5.

And then… they drafted Will Howard. Ohio State quarterback Will Howard was selected as the 185th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. “You’re telling me that if Shedeur had dropped to the sixth round, you weren’t gonna take him? At all?” If you’re drafting a QB in the sixth round, why not take the guy with upside, is what Keyshawn is asking. He pressed the issue with a what-if that Pittsburgh fans can’t ignore, “If Shedeur goes one more round to six and you’re there… are you passing on Shedeur?”

Keyshawn adds a hint of sarcasm, unable to understand the Steelers’ motives. “I have a great big beautiful brain, but even this one has limitations. I have no idea what the Steelers are doing,” he said. It exposes the Steelers’ draft logic for what it was, i.e., its inconsistent. They didn’t want the heat, so they reached for “safe.”

Joy Taylor also joined in, stating, “To me, it looks like the Steelers’ plan is that they have no plan.” Now, they need to develop a late-round rookie, Will Howard, a project QB who is going to need time to develop behind veterans. As they brought in Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, and Kyle Allen in 2024, their 2025 QB outlook remains unclear while waiting for Rodgers.

Kirk Cousins as a fallback option if Rodgers doesn’t sign

Here’s where Albert Breer steps in. According to the Monday Morning QB insider, the Steelers were quietly tracking Aaron Rodgers’ situation all offseason. “Some of the narratives out there wouldn’t have been spun the same way if that information were public earlier,” Breer said.

If Rodgers ghosts them, as per Breer, Kirk Cousins is the backup plan. ESPN’s Adam Schefter also confirmed that the Steelers might be Cousins’ landing spot if Rodgers opts out. So if he doesn’t sign, the Steelers are poised to pursue Cousins as their fallback option to fill the QB gap.