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As the Pittsburgh Steelers sit pretty with Aaron Rodgers as their quarterback in 2025, fans and experts alike have already begun to wonder about 2026, when the four-time MVP will be 42 years old.
Could Rodgers keep going strong, Tom Brady-style? Potentially so, but what if he decides to hang up his cleats regardless of how the season shakes out? Who could be slinging passes for the Steelers next fall?
Well, while discussing that very topic on Inside the NFL, ESPN’s Kevin Clark put a new name into consideration: struggling 2023 Indianapolis Colts first-round pick Anthony Richardson.
“Yeah, you don’t give Daniel Jones $14 million unless he’s in a competition, all right? That’s just the way quarterback salaries work in this league. He has thrown, Anthony Richter, 348 passes in the NFL. In his first two years, that is the second lowest of any top 10 pick in the last 20 years, Trey Lance is the only player with less pass attacks, okay? He was strapped in the top 10. Jake Locker had a few more than Anthony Richter. That’s the area of the pool that Anthony Richardson is in right now. So he needs to play more football,” Clark declared.
“I’ve never seen anybody more destined to be in the 2026 Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback competition than Anthony Richardson because I’m looking at this and I’m seeing a training camp where Daniel Jones will probably start with the ones. There’s job preservation now going on in Indianapolis with Shane Steichen and Chris Ballard. They’re going to want to get that seven, eight, nine wins in order to keep their job.
“They’re not going to want to take a flyer on Anthony Richardson and say, hey, let’s hope he develops. So let’s hope he finally shows athleticism that he showed at the combine when he was literally the best athlete that quarterback position has ever seen there. I just don’t think it’s going to happen. He’s going to get a good start somewhere else.”
Wow, would the Steelers really consider making a move for Richardson, either via trade or if he’s released from the team? Well, if the Steelers stick to their typical eight-to-ten win clip, they’ll likely be too good to draft an elite prospect – Shedeur Sanders notwithstanding – so free agency and trades might be the route to go.
With that in mind, there’s no guarantee that the Steelers do stick to their typical record, with Rodgers giving them a Super Bowl ceiling and a low single-digit win floor. If Richardson somehow becomes available, the Steelers at least have to consider bringing him to town, assuming they don’t somehow lock up a new long-term starter another way.
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