It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Pittsburgh Steelers go out and add a relatively young quarterback who might be able to prove something in Pittsburgh. 

As we saw, the team tried to do that with Justin Fields, and while it didn't work, and might turn some fans off, there are certainly reasons to believe it could work in the future. 

If Aaron Rodgers decides to return, the Steelers would have a young quarterback with a Hall of Famer in front of him to learn the ropes of the league and just get better. 

For someone like quarterback Mac Jones, that might be all he needs to be the quarterback he wants to be, as he's proven during the 2025 season with the San Francisco 49ers that he has all the tools to play in the league and be a potential starter. 

Would Jones be the perfect option for the Steelers? Probably not, but there are far worse options out there, and Jacob Camenker of USA Today believes that's part of the reason why Pittsburgh could be a potential landing spot. 

“Aaron Rodgers is 41 years old, and he holds just a one-year deal with the Steelers. Pittsburgh will still have Mason Rudolph and 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard under contract in 2026, but the team may need to add a more proven starter to compete with the unit.

“The Steelers aren't likely to be in range for one of the draft's top quarterbacks, so trading for Jones could end up being a solid stopgap. The 27-year-old would be a natural replacement for Rodgers, as their present tendencies are similar. Both quarterbacks prefer to utilize the short passing game to get the ball out of their hands quickly and get the ball to their playmakers in stride,” he wrote.

Jones is now on the bench due to Brock Purdy returning, but that wasn't due to any of his play. 

In fact, some in the media and fanbase believe the 49ers should have continued to play Jones because of what he did as the team's starter. 

After giving Purdy all the money they did, there wasn't much of a reason to even consider that, but it just goes to show how well he played in his short time as the starter. 

Perhaps he isn’t a 17-game starter, but there's only one way to find that out.