The Pittsburgh Steelers’ decision to pass on Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft has raised eyebrows, especially since they met with him and were linked to him before the draft. But a leading NFL insider, Albert Breer of The MMQB, might have shed some light on why they didn’t pull the trigger. On “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” Breer suggested that Russell Wilson’s struggles last season played a big role. Coach Mike Tomlin liked Sanders, but he also liked Wilson and stuck with him even when most of the organization wanted to go back to Justin Fields. “I think people there would tell you that the Russell Wilson thing undermines so many things in the last month of the season and that a lot of that building really wanted them to go back to Justin Fields,” Breer said, via Liam McKeone of SI. “And it was something where Tomlin was kind of, again, all on his own on that one. And I think it’s part of the reason why — Tomlin liked Shedeur going into the draft. But I don’t think Tomlin wanted to press that button again at quarterback after what happened with Russell at the end of the year last year.”
It’s a cautionary tale for Tomlin, who’s been burned before by betting on a quarterback. Wilson’s tenure with the Steelers ended on a sour note, with a five-game losing streak that torpedoed their playoff hopes. That experience seems to have made Tomlin hesitant to go all-in on another unproven quarterback like Sanders, especially when the organization as a whole wasn’t as sold on him. Reports suggested the Steelers didn’t see Sanders as a dynamic talent, and Tomlin’s preference for him might not have been enough to overcome the collective doubt. Going out on a limb for Sanders so soon after the Wilson fiasco would have been a huge risk, one that Tomlin wasn’t willing to take.
Instead, the Steelers are playing the waiting game with Aaron Rodgers. It’s a risk, sure, but arguably less of one than betting on Sanders. Rodgers, at 41, is a known quantity, a four-time MVP with a proven track record, even if he’s coming off a tough year with the Jets. The Steelers are hoping he’ll sign, giving them a veteran presence to stabilize the quarterback position. For now, it’s Mason Rudolph under center, but the Rodgers pursuit shows the team’s still looking for a long-term answer. Tomlin’s caution with Sanders is understandable, given the Wilson fallout, but it leaves the Steelers in a holding pattern. The NFL’s a tough place, and for the Steelers, it’s about finding the right balance between risk and reward. Stay tuned, because this story’s got layers, and the Steelers’ quarterback room is the epicenter.
