Mike Tomlin Signs New QB Already With Aaron Rodgers Struggling Amid Steelers’ Injury Crisis

Mike Tomlin has seen it play again and again. Last year, Russell Wilson was the declared starter before aggravating his knee injury. It forced the coach to start the season with Justin Fields. Although things could have gone sideways, the backup won 4 out of 6 games. This year, Aaron Rodgers is here. But the coach is focused on one thing. Keep the Steelers QB room full so that no injury could derail his ambitions of a Super Bowl.

In the hopes of this, he drafted Will Howard in the 6th round (185th overall). But just like last year, the rookie has a broken bone in his hand, forcing him to miss the preseason. And Mike Tomlin? He went out and signed Logan Woodside. It’s not the man, it’s the timing.

AtoZ Sports’ Rob Gregson reported: “The #Steelers have signed quarterback Logan Woodside with Will Howard sidelined for the preseason due to a broken bone in his hand.”

Logan Woodside isn’t the kind of quarterback whose career gets packaged into highlight reels. But what he lacks in flash, he’s made up for in resilience. After a decorated run at Toledo, over 10,000 passing yards, MAC MVP, and a school record in touchdowns, he entered the NFL as a seventh-round pick in 2018, only to be cut by the Bengals before taking a single snap.

What followed was a patchwork journey through practice squads, the now-defunct AAF, and emergency call-ups that defined a football life lived in the margins. His most notable NFL moment came in 2023, wearing an Atlanta Falcons jersey. Thrust into a game after an injury, Woodside completed 3 of 4 passes for 27 yards, showing calm under pressure and delivering a key third-down conversion.

It wasn’t a game-winner, but for a quarterback who had mostly existed on whiteboards and scout team snaps, it was a flash of competence in live fire, the kind of moment that earns trust from coaches and keeps you in the league. That’s the story of Logan Woodside. No frills, no fanfare, but always one call away from mattering.

Mike Tomlin worried about Aaron Rodgers while injuries pile up

The Steelers drafted Derrick Harmon to be a tone-setter up front. And through most of camp, he’s looked every bit the part. Explosive, polished, relentless. But then came the no-show. No Harmon’s absence from practice came without warning, and though Mike Tomlin brushed it off as routine “bumps and bruises,” it’s clear Pittsburgh’s being cautious. With sixth-rounder Will Howard already sidelined with a broken finger and now this, the rookie injury bug is biting hard.

And that’s just one layer of the anxiety. Aaron Rodgers didn’t come to Pittsburgh for a farewell tour. He came to win. But for nearly two weeks of camp, the 41-year-old looked more ghost than gunslinger. The seven-shot drill, Mike Tomlin’s sacred barometer for offensive sharpness, had been brutal. Misfires to Darnell Washington. Batted balls. Stalled drives. Even with DK Metcalf lining up outside, Rodgers and the first-team unit couldn’t find rhythm.

Then came Day 12. And something clicked.

Rodgers opened seven shots with a quick strike to Metcalf on a fade. Later, he hit Pat Freiermuth down the seam, a throw straight from his Green Bay catalog. Rookie lineman Troy Fautanu anchored well against a bull rush, giving Rodgers the pocket he needed. Even Kenneth Gainwell, working out of the backfield, got in sync on a swing route that turned into a chain-mover. Score tied 3-3. Starters checked in. Rodgers, shotgun. Metcalf in motion. Snap. Quick out, corner route, touchdown. Offense wins, 4-3.

It wasn’t perfect. One ball skipped in front of Calvin Austin III. A rookie, Yahya Black, swatted a pass down at the line. But the difference? Aaron Rodgers looked like the guy again. He owned the cadence, shifted protections, and demanded the huddle’s attention. For a unit that’s been sleepwalking through camp, it was the first sign of actual life.