Mike Tomlin Is Already Planning Next QB Signing as Aaron Rodgers Finally Gives Up, Says Steelers Insider

Pittsburgh Steelers seems to have become the hub of rumor and possibilities lately. First was Dolphins‘ star Jalen Ramsey being tied to Mike Tomlin’s offense as per league insiders. On The Pat McAfee Show, ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirmed that the Dolphins “continue to have conversations about trading Jalen Ramsey, and I think that a trade there will get done.” 

Given the Steelers’ defensive ambitions and Ramsey’s All-Pro pedigree, it’s easy to see why Pittsburgh would emerge as a contender, especially with Miami motivated to shed his contract. Still, logistical hurdles remain, owing to the CB’s gigantic contract that runs through 2028. As per his three–year, $72.30 million contract extension, the 30-year-old corner is $25 million due in 2026, $26.8 million in 2027, and $36.1 million in 2028. And that’s definitely worrying for a team that is planning their future so meticulously.

With an aging Aaron Rodgers increasingly finding his name in retirement talks—with some suggesting the 2025 season as his last—the Steelers will have to do something. Fast. Of course, they’ve got Will Howard and Mason Rudolph, but what the team clearly lacks is a franchise quarterback. So, what next? And if we go by reports, the 2026 NFL Draft might be their best shot. But the one thing they need is draft capital that ultimately ties the team’s Ramsey decision to the bigger picture, as per Chris Carter of the Lockdown Steelers Podcast.  Earlier this week, the host noted, “I don’t think [Jalen Ramsey joining the Steelers] is that likely…Maybe there’s something in the works, but there would have to be very specific things that would need to happen for Jaylen Ramsey to be a [part of the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

“…If you look at what the Dolphins are looking at—and the Steelers do have money…that’s not as big of an issue right now—this year, he turns 31. This season he’s a $16.6 million cap hit, next year he’ll be a $25 million cap hit, the year after that $26.8 million, then it goes up to $36 million before he starts his void years in this contract. And now that can be diminished, I believe, by quite a bit because the Dolphins have a lot of dead money in those years…”

“If the Steelers were to somehow acquire Jaylen Ramsay with the Dolphins keeping the dead money, then he would be a $6.5 million cap hit in 2026. And so there’s ways to wiggle around that and I don’t think that’s the biggest thing. But the biggest thing for me is where would Jaylen Ramsay go in the Steelers’ secondary right now?…Theoretically, you might say, ‘Oh, okay. Well, Jaylen Ramsey could just go in for [Darius] Slay…and that’ll be fine.’ I don’t think the Steelers paid Slay $10 million so he can sit on the bench…The Steelers probably don’t want to come off of any serious draft capital because they want to keep that draft—most of the bigger draft capital—so that they can trade up and get a quarterback next year.”

Notably, earlier this week, a mock draft simulation in the Mock Draft Database predicted that Indiana Hoosiers’ Fernando Mendoza could be picked by the Steelers at No. 15 overall. “He’s not a household name yet but by the time the draft gets here, he should be one of the first four quarterbacks off the board,” Curt Popejoy of the Steelers Wire had mentioned. But if we are to look at history, starting quarterback Rodgers has never been comfortable with the idea of his team drafting a signal caller.

Will he be ready this time?

Aaron Rodgers ready to give up a place for others to grow

Aaron Rodgers spent his first three years with the Packers serving as a backup to Brett Favre. Fast forward to 2020, when Rodgers was leading the Packers’ offense, Green Bay decided to draft a rookie. A quarterback from Utah, Jordan Love. Rodgers’ response when he found out about that? Well, Matt LaFleur revealed that the 41-year-old quarterback was “shocked” when Green Bay moved up to pick Love.

To spice things up, even Rodgers himself recalled that moment on the Netflix documentary Aaron Rodgers: Enigma, thinking “No f‑king way” upon hearing of the selection. Now, add the Steelers’ lens to this situation in 2025, as the Steelers have signed Rodgers on a one-year deal, and they’ve already got a rookie quarterback from Ohio, Will Howard, and might draft another QB next year. But the kicker?

The situation has changed, and Rodgers realizes his responsibilities. During the minicamp, Rodgers, taking up a mentorship role, sat down right next to Howard and talked about a couple of things that they hadn’t really gone through yet. While joining Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette YouTube channel, Howard then shed light on his interaction with the four-time MVP.

“He’s been so awesome to me so far,” Howard said. “Obviously, we’ve only gotten to be together for about three days, but I got a really good feeling about him [and] about this whole QB room… Aaron has been so willing to help me. He’s like, ‘Literally, as much or as little as you want me to help you, I’ll be therei.”

Rodgers, on the other hand, laid out things plainly and simply about his new role in Pittsburgh. “I’m gonna be with him (Howard) every single day in every single meeting… found my seat next to him.” Safe to say that Aaron Rodgers has arrived in Pittsburgh for one last dance—probably. But he’s crystal clear about his mentorship role for the young QB as well. A good thing for Mike Tomlin.