In February, GM Omar Khan sternly said, “It just isn’t going to go like it did last year.” The situation he was talking about from last year was the extended wait game they were in with Aaron Rodgers. They had to wait until June to hear for him, leaving everyone from the front office to the fans restless. Now though we are still two months away from officially reaching that spot, it does seem like a deja vu waiting to happen. But while many seems to be counting days till a decision comes, franchise legend, Jerome Bettis not only understands the situation he actually sees the upside of this wait-and-see approach.

“When you have no alternative, then you have no choice,” Bettis gave a reality check. Given how the quarterback market has moved on, it makes sense. Malik Willis is in Miami now, Geno Smith has landed with the Jets, and Tua Tagovailoa and Kyler Murray signed low-risk deals. Even Kirk Cousins, who was once seen as a fallback, has found his way to the Raiders. The Steelers, meanwhile, are still waiting for their soon-to-be 43-year-old quarterback to return.

Bettis, moreover, instead of focusing on the uncertainty of what happens or not, wants to see this as an opportunity for the other players to shine.

“There is an opportunity for our number two guy to get a lot of reps, a lot of opportunity, right?” said former Super Bowl-winning Steelers legend . “So there are some positives to this, because you’re letting the young guys get an opportunity to run the offense and kind of learn the offense as they go.”

Rodgers’ late decision could be the silver lining for the other quarterbacks. The veteran’s absence from the spring workouts, which will continue through May and June, could allow the young quarterback Will Howard to show his proficiency and demonstrate that he could be a dependable option for the future.

The 54-year-old also insisted that Rodgers’ delayed decision would allow Mike McCarthy to fix offensive issues, including running games, receivers, and offensive lines. Even when the four-time NFL MVP comes back to the gridiron, he would need a highly functional offensive unit to succeed and improve from the last campaign.

To be fair, Rodgers hasn’t really shown signs of slowing down. Despite being in his early 40s, the ten-time Pro Bowler’s production stood out last season when he notched 3,332 passing yards with a 65.2 percent passing completion while also throwing 24 passing touchdowns. Those numbers suggest there’s still something left in the tank, maybe enough to make this gamble worth it. And maybe that’s what it is, a gamble at the end of the day.

But the time to get to the 2026 NFL Draft is running out, and ironically it’s happening in Pittsburgh this April. If Rodgers still remains silent, then maybe the team has to look at some other prospects, whether they want it or not.

Pittsburgh Steelers’ backup plans beyond Aaron Rodgers

Will Howard was a sixth-round pick from the 2025 Draft and has yet to play a snap in the NFL. Regardless of Rodgers’ availability, the Steelers are in critical need of a young quarterback who could be an option for the future, and they might explore that option at the 2026 Draft.

“It seems likely the Steelers will draft a QB regardless of Rodgers’ future or Howard’s trajectory,” noted ESPN’s Brooke Pryor recently.

The six-time Super Bowl champions have only one first-round pick (21st overall) in the draft this year, which they may use to strengthen other positions. This would leave them to consider late-round quarterback options.

With that in mind, the franchise could go after Miami’s Carson Beck, who registered 3,813 passing yards and 30 touchdowns in his final collegiate season. LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier could be another potential prospect. Garrett’s father, Doug Nussmeier, is familiar with McCarthy, having worked under him as the quarterback coach at the Dallas Cowboys. While he played 9 games last season, he unlocked his potential in 2024 when he managed a remarkable 4,052 passing yards from 13 games.

Moreover, Penn State’s Drew Allar could be another option to look forward to, whose 6 feet and 5 inches tall stature stands out. He played only 6 games last season because of a broken ankle. Nevertheless, when he played the complete season in 2024, his passing yards tally stood at 3,337, while in the previous season (2023), he had 2,631 yards, playing three fewer games. It remains to be seen which QB the Steelers ultimately go with.