Here at the end of March at the NFL owners meetings, the Pittsburgh Steelers still don’t have a starting quarterback on the roster. Ten days after hosting Aaron Rodgers for a visit at their South Side facility, the Steelers are no closer to a decision from the four-time NFL MVP.
That can be a bit unsettling, especially as the 2025 NFL Draft draws closer and closer. But for Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, who spoke to reporters Monday at the annual NFL owners meetings, he’s really comfortable with being unsettled this time of year.
It’s not just at quarterback, either. That goes for the entire roster.
“I’m really comfortable with being unsettled this time of year, to be quite honest with you. It’s about talent acquisition. We got two means of main means of acquiring talent: free agency and in the draft. We multitask, we do both,” Tomlin said when asked if the QB situation was unsettling at all, according to video via Mark Kaboly on X. “Those needs that we fulfill in free agency, we do so there. And when we don’t, we fulfill it in the draft.
“And so, I just learned over the years that this time of year, although day to day, can be somewhat uncomfortable. It is a process.”
The offseason is a process. Too often in today’s fast-paced media world, things have to be reacted to right away and stances taken one way or another immediately without the full picture being shown. That’s largely what’s happened to the Steelers this offseason, though the Rodgers situation is dragging on far too long.
There is no deadline for Rodgers so that uncertainty for Tomlin and the Steelers at quarterback could last quite awhile, maybe even up to — and through — the draft.
On Sunday when speaking to local reporters, Tomlin stated that training camp is really the “line of demarcation” when it comes to the roster and having the quarterback situation resolved for the 2025 season. He wouldn’t give a hard deadline for Rodgers — he said Monday morning he’s in contact with the four-time NFL MVP — but that training camp comment seemed like a real line in the sand.
The spring, which includes rookie minicamp, OTAs and minicamp, is about teaching from a coaching perspective. Things aren’t all that fast paced, and there really isn’t much of a competitive factor during those times of year, because everyone is on the same level. But after that, that’s when things kick into gear and guys have to be ready to go.
Right now, though, Tomlin is leaning into his own philosophy: comfortable being uncomfortable. He’s saying all the right things publicly. Hopefully behind the scenes the rest of the Steelers’ franchise feels the same way.
