Aaron Rodgers led the Pittsburgh Steelers to the AFC North title. But with him potentially leaving, should they gamble on Kyler Murray?
Kyler Murray was one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the NFL. So was Aaron Rodgers.
Not so much anymore.
However, even at 42, Rodgers led the Pittsburgh Steelers to the AFC North title last season. Rodgers didn’t have a great season, yet the Steelers would like him to come back for one more year, as they don’t have a clear-cut successor.
Murray, though, hasn’t been a winning quarterback since making back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2020 and 2021 with the Arizona Cardinals. Since then, the Cardinals have a 16-25 record when <Murray starts over the past four seasons.
Furthermore, Murray has been injury-prone, playing a full season only once in the last five years. He was limited to five games last season because of a mid-foot sprain as the Cardinals went 3-14, tying for the worst record in the NFL.
The Cardinals have decided to move on from Murray after seven seasons and plan to release him.
Murray is still 28, making him 14 years younger than Rodgers. Murray is seemingly young enough to get his career back on track in the right atmosphere and with the right coaching.
So, should the Steelers pursue Murray in free agency? Unless they think he is the franchise quarterback Pittsburgh has been looking for since Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season, they should make Murray their Plan C.
Plan A should be re-signing Rodgers. It just makes the most for the Steelers at this moment. Rodgers is familiar with Pittsburgh, and he and new Steelers coach Mike McCarthy spent more than a decade together with the Green Bay Packers.
If Rodgers retires or signs with the Minnesota Vikings – likely his two options besides Pittsburgh – Plan B should be free agent Kirk Cousins. Like Rodgers, the 37-year-old Cousins is in the twilight of his career. However, the Atlanta Falcons went 5-3 after Cousins became the starter last season when Michael Penix Jr. sustained a season-ending knee injury.
There is speculation that Pittsburgh is considering Will Howard as their starting quarterback in 2026. McCarthy has been impressed by the former Ohio State star.
Yet with the Steelers in win-now mode, it’s hard to imagine them making a sixth-round draft pick who has never thrown a pass in an NFL game, including the preseason. their QB1 while in win-now mode.
So, if Pittsburgh doesn't get Rodgers or Cousins, trying to salvage Murray’s career would be its third option. It might turn out to be a bad idea, but it would at least be an intriguing story.
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