Steelers Urged to Consider Trading for Intriguing Backup QB

For the first time in a while, the Pittsburgh Steelers have some promise at the quarterback position. That isn’t expected to last for too long, though, as future Hall of Fame signal-caller Aaron Rodgers is likely entering his final season in the NFL.

General manager Omar Khan isn’t ruling out Rodgers returning in 2026, but it seems improbable. It doesn’t seem that Mason Rudolph or Will Howard is the club’s quarterback of the future (but Howard is making headlines for his performance in training camp).

Green Bay Packers field general Malik Willis isn’t that type, but one analyst still believes Pittsburgh should consider acquiring him.

Analyst Links Steelers to Former Third-Round Pick QB

In a story for Bleacher Report, Kristopher Knox listed Willis as a player teams “must consider” adding. He believes the Steelers would be a good landing spot for him.

“The Steelers should also consider kicking the tires on Willis,” Knox wrote. “Aaron Rodgers isn’t a long-term solution in Pittsburgh, and Willis’ dual-threat skill set would fit the system of offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Steelers wanted to bring back Fields before losing him to the Jets and pivoting to Rodgers.”

Willis, a former third-round pick by the Tennessee Titans, is at an interesting point in his career. Now entering his fourth season, he’ll hit free agency in the spring. Unless Packers starter Jordan Love gets hurt, he won’t be getting a real opportunity to showcase his growth in a game. The preseason slate can only do so much. His stint in Tennessee was dreadful, but he’s looked much better in Green Bay.

Playing in seven games last year, Willis made two starts for the Packers. In those outings, he completed 40 of his 54 passes (74.1%) for 550 yards and 3 touchdowns. He was also a threat on the ground, toting the ball 20 times for 138 yards and another score. Green Bay went 2-0 in Willis’ Week 2 and Week 3 starts, later dropping a close game to the Chicago Bears in Week 18 when he played 43 offensive snaps.

Advanced stats liked Willis’ 2024-25 output. Pro Football Focus, for instance, graded him as their No. 38 quarterback out of 75 qualified players. Among the 55 passers with 50-plus plays in the rbsdm.com database from last year, he ranked fifth in EPA/play. Of course, the limited sample size must be considered.

Long-Term Rodgers Replacement Will Eventually Be Key for Pittsburgh

Regardless of whether it’s Willis or someone else, the Steelers will eventually need to replace Rodgers. The aforementioned Rudolph already got a brief crack at cementing himself as the quarterback of the future. While he did manage to lead the team to a 5-3 record in eight 2019 starts, he posted a mediocre 82.0 passer rating and an ugly 36.2 QBR on the year. In five starts with the Titans a year ago, he threw 9 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.

Expecting Howard, a sixth-rounder in the 2025 NFL Draft, to become a franchise leader is foolish. He did light the box score up in his final collegiate season, leading the conference in completion percentage (73.0), passing yards (4,010) and touchdowns (35) with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Howard can’t be the singular plan entering 2026-27, though.

Assuming Rodgers is out of the picture some seven months from now, a move must be made. Is that another bridge option like Jimmy Garoppolo, Mitchell Tribusky or Gardner Minshew? For the sake of the organization, surely not. Is it an unforeseen trade? Possibly. The most promising avenue would be the draft, where high-profile names like Cade Klubnik, Garrett Nussmeier, Drew Allar, Arch Manning, LaNorris Sellers and Fernando Mendoza and others could end up.

Bringing in Willis now wouldn’t provide any real answers. It would add some intrigue, however, at the very least.