Mike Tomlin Moves On From Russell Wilson Fall Out With Draft Move as Aaron Rodgers Receives Warning From Steelers Locker Room

Despite making some quality additions to his roster in the offseason, solving the quarterback conundrum remains a challenge for Mike Tomlin. At the combine, GM Omar Khan said the franchise would “ideally” look to retain one of Fields or Wilson, but it didn’t work out for them. The long, drawn-out Russell Wilson saga finally ended with the player moving to the Giants, and Justin Fields moved to the Jets, while the Steelers await a final answer from Aaron Rodgers. A six-hour meeting with the veteran, which reportedly went well, is a step in the right direction, but until Rodgers comes up with something official, the Steelers remain in QB limbo.

The Steelers still want Rodgers. They have got their players pitching the franchise to him with DT Cam Heyward saying, “it would be really cool to have a guy like Aaron Rodgers.” But this will ultimately be down to what the former Jets man wants. Pittsburgh’s pursuit and wait for Rodgers could also backfire if he decides to reject them for another team or call it a day altogether, at the last moment. Hence, Mike Tomlin is eager to keep looking and has turned his attention to potential draft picks.

On Wednesday, ABC6/Fox28 Sports Director Dave Holmes reported that Tomlin stopped by at the Ohio State’s Pro Day. The head coach and the Steelers’ general manager, Omar Khan, were spotted watching the top prospects who are about to hear their names called out in the 2025 NFL draft. Both Tomlin and Khan were among the 141 NFL personnel present at OSU’s Pro Day. While it is usual for NFL coaches and managers to attend Pro Days, Tomlin seems to have his sights set on a particular target.

OSU’s QB Will Howard certainly caught the attention in their championship-winning campaign. After transferring from Kansas State, he completed 73.1% of his pass attempts for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions en route to the natty. He contributed 226 yards and seven more touchdowns, and although his draft stock took a hit at the combine, he is still drawing interest, especially from the Steelers.

On Tuesday, it was reported that the Steelers took Howard out to dinner before his pro day. If ever there was a hint that a team is interested in drafting you, it has to be this. Moreover, Howard also appeared on board with the idea of lining up for them. “I really like those guys. It’s close to home for me. It’s close to here. There’s a lot of things to like about it. You never know. Anything can happen. It’s definitely a great spot,” Howard said, according to PennLive’s Nick Farabaugh.

His size and mobility have already drawn comparisons with former Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and this is something that will excite the Steelers fanbase. The Steelers might draft Howard, just in case Rodgers remains undecided until the draft. And in case, they do get Rodgers on board, he will be the perfect bridge QB for Howard to eventually take over.

Currently, their QB room includes only Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson, so adding Howard makes sense either way. Meanwhile, the Ohio State Pro Day visit could be about more than just the quarterback situation.

The Steelers might consider bolstering their O-line. Tomlin has already signed the veteran receiver, DK Metcalf. But that doesn’t mean the odds of drafting a rookie wideout are ruled out. Emeka Egbuka could be a potential option for the Steelers. The guy is coming after recording a career-high 81 receptions for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns in the last season for the Buckeyes.

As for the RBs, the Buckeyes have a pair of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. And let’s just say both players are just a combination of nightmare and horror for the opposition. On one side, Henderson is ready to enter the pros after rushing for another 1,000+ yards season while racking up 10 TDs.

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On the other hand, Judkins just finished his collegiate career after recording his third consecutive 1000+ season with 12 TDs. So, yeah, Tomlin and Co. probably have their sight on these two. The Steelers have signed Kenneth Gainwell in that position, but adding depth won’t hurt.

As for the defensive side, the Steelers may draft the pass rushers Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau. Their track record? Well, both of them recorded 21.5 sacks combinedly for the Buckeyes’ defense in the last season. And if reports are true, teams will pick Sawyer and Tuimoloau within the top 75 selections in April. Meanwhile, Tomlin is also keeping his Draft QB options open.

The franchise is also looking closely at Alabama QB Jalen Milroe. Interestingly, Milroe was among the Alabama players who went to dinner with Steelers brass Tuesday night prior to the Crimson Tide’s pro day Wednesday.

With Wilson out the door and Rodgers still stuck in negotiation limbo, Mike Tomlin’s already looking ahead to the NFL Draft and his Pro Day visits suggest that he isn’t sitting around waiting for things to happen. And speaking of Rodgers—yeah, the four-time MVP might just land in Pittsburgh next season. But here’s the kicker—the Steelers aren’t just rolling out the red carpet. Looks like they’ve got some demands of their own.

Mike Tomlin’s Steelers want to lift the seventh Lombardi

Just a few days ago, Aaron Rodgers visited the Steelers’ facility after the Vikings ditched him. The visit turned out to be a six-hour meeting with the head coach and the offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith. See, there is still no confirmation on the Steelers-Rodgers contract till now. But looks like the team’s veteran DT, Cam Heyward, has a message for Rodgers. If the team signs him, of course.

When Heyward was asked what his message would be to Rodgers, the guy straight-up admitted that the team’s goal is to win if Rodgers comes to Pittsburgh. “What I would say to him, I would just say, if you come to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the goal is to win. We haven’t had the success we want, but the goal is still in mind to raise the Lombardi and bring that seventh one to Pittsburgh,” Heyward said.

Ever since Ben Roethlisberger hung up his cleats, the Pittsburgh team hasn’t just missed out on another Super Bowl run; they’ve been stuck spinning in a never-ending quarterback carousel. They’ve started four QBs after his retirement, to be exact. No wonder Heyward is concerned about Rodgers leading the offense in 2025.

The 41-year-old MVP is coming after the worst couple of seasons of his career. His first season in New York? Just four snaps, and Achilles took him down. His return in the second season didn’t inspire. He took more shots at the media rather than actual snaps on the field. But Heyward believes that the Steelers don’t care about all those media dramas.

“We don’t really care about the glitz and glam of New York, but the focus is on good, hard football, competing every day, challenging each other and trying to go from there,” he continued. That said, the Steelers’ DT demand is just grinding, competitiveness, and no-nonsense football from the QB.