Through the first four rounds of the draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers have still not addressed the quarterback position. That could mean they’re comfortable waiting for Aaron Rodgers. They seem like the only destination left for him. There also aren’t many other great veteran quarterbacks available. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Howell was on the trade block, but according to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, he’s been traded to the Minnesota Vikings.
According to Schefter, the Vikings are receiving Howell and a fifth-round pick, number 172 overall, from the Seahawks. In return, the Seahawks received a different fifth-round pick, number 142 overall. It allows the Seahawks to move up and gives the Vikings a backup quarterback.
That takes one more quarterback option off the board for the Steelers. Howell was drafted by the Washington Commanders in the fifth round of the 2022 draft. He never quite looked like a high-level starter. That’s part of the reason the Commanders traded him to the Seahawks in 2024.
Now, Howell has been moved again. He’s still a young player, only being 24 years old at the moment. He might not ever be a great starter, but maybe he can have a nice career as a backup. For the Steelers, he could’ve competed with Mason Rudolph, but that is no longer an option.
However, this might not totally eliminate the Vikings from the Rodgers sweepstakes. Howell isn’t competition for their starter, J.J. McCarthy. If anything happens to McCarthy, or if he doesn’t impress, maybe they’ll consider Rodgers. The Vikings seem committed to McCarthy, though, and have reportedly been out on Rodgers.
This does leave the Steelers with few options left at quarterback. Any rookies remaining likely won’t push Rudolph out of the starting spot. They might be stuck waiting for Rodgers. Reportedly, they wanted an answer from him before the draft, but that did not happen.
Rodgers did make it clear he’s dealing with serious personal issues, so it’s uncertain when he’ll make a decision. Howell could’ve been an option, although there were never any serious reports that they were interested in him. Given that he’d feel more like a lateral move compared to Rudolph, that makes sense. The wait for Rodgers continues.