The Pittsburgh Steelers have been patiently waiting on veteran superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers all offseason long. While they have been patient, Rodgers has not given the team any indication about what he plans to do.
Last week, Rodgers made an appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show” and suggested that retirement is still very much possible for him. That should lead to the Steelers pursuing other quarterback options and giving up in the dream of landing the future Hall of Famer.
Many believe that Pittsburgh could focus on this week’s NFL draft as a route to find its long-term franchise quarterback. The team could go that direction, or it could consider scouring the trade market.
With that in mind, there are only a couple of quarterbacks who could be acquired via trade and become a long-term option. There are also a couple of veteran options who could be available for the Steelers to consider as short-term bridge options.
One potential option could be trying to swing a trade with the Indianapolis Colts for young quarterback and former No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson.
Making a trade for Richardson would be a complete shock. He has not been great throughout his first two NFL seasons, but he’s also just 22 years old.
During the NFL offseason, the Colts went out and signed quarterback Daniel Jones. It was a clear sign that Indianapolis is not sold on Richardson being their guy in 2025. Could they be open to the idea of trading the young signal caller if the right deal came along?
Through two seasons, Richardson has played in just 15 games. He dealt with major injury problems as a rookie, playing in just four total games.
In the 15 games he has played, Richardson has completed just 50.6 percent of his pass attempts for 2,391 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He has also picked up 635 yards and 10 scores on the ground.
Pulling off a trade for Richardson would be far from a sure thing. He would give them a young signal caller to develop, which would also open the door to making a second move for someone like Kirk Cousins to start for a season.
Mike Tomlin and the coaching staff would then have time to work with Richardson and try to help him reach his full potential.
Richardson would be a big gamble for Pittsburgh. But, if he does happen to reach his full level of talent, he could be an elite starting NFL quarterback.
He has shown flashes of huge arm potential. If the Steelers could get him for a late-mid round pick, they should take a flier on him.
Fans should not expect Richardson to end up in Pittsburgh, but it’s an option worth looking into.
