Still no decision from Aaron Rodgers? 2025 NFL Mock Draft simulator sees Steelers take 6-foot-2, 95-TD and ditch 4x NFL MVP

The Pittsburgh Steelers need a quarterback for the 2025 season, but convincing one to join has not been easy, having eyed four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers for quite some time. But a failure to secure a deal after his visit could mean a change in direction.

It's no secret that the franchise has been desperate for a franchise passer since Ben Roethlisberger's retirement after the 2021 season. Pittsburgh-educated Kenny Pickett failed to be that man in his two years with the team, being largely inconsistent and sitting on the bench behind Mason Rudolph in his only playoff game.

For 2024, the Steelers went with a strong dual-threat pairing. Russell Wilson was initially awarded the job, but a leg injury meant that Justin Fields assumed his post in the interim. The former Chicago Bear performed decently, going 4-2 as the manager of a defense-oriented squad; but then coach Mike Tomlin went "rogue" and demoted him for Wilson despite his assistants' objections.

Yet another Wild Card exit has resulted in another purge. Feeling betrayed at his benching, Fields joined the New York Jets for two years and $40 million. Wilson, meanwhile, has talked with the Cleveland Browns and the New York Giants.

And should Rodgers decide to play elsewhere or even retire, Tomlin and general manager Omar Khan will be left empty-handed. Thus, a Sportskeeda Mock Draft scenario has them taking Jaxson Dart, the Ole Miss Rebels' 6-foot-two, 85-TD leader, 21st overall:

Jaxson Dart goes 21st overall to the Steelers

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Why drafting Jaxson Dart makes sense for the Pittsburgh Steelers

It's no secret that the Steelers have been carrying a reputation as a gritty defensive team since the days fo the Steel Curtain.

However, scoring points is what makes football an engaging sport, and the franchise's squads of the past had their fair share of playmakers - John Stallworth and Lynn Swann for Terry Bradshaw; Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes (in addition to Heath Miller), Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster for Ben Roethlisberger.

The current post-Roethlisberger era has seen the curious case of George Pickens, who has proven himself a legitimate thousand-yarder once but has been hampered by at best supbar playcalling. With defensive backfields often converging on him, coordinators have been struggling to maximize his talents and improve his off-ball abilities.

However, that won't be the case come 2025, as DK Metcalf arrives from Seattle. The former Seahawk has himself been a thousand-yarder, meaning they could split the lead while dominating But doing so would require a brave, uncompromising quarterback, which is where Jaxson Dart comes in.

Having shown statistical improvements (recording over 4,000 passing yards and nearly 30 passing touchdowns as a senior and making four bowls in his three years as a Rebel), he has proven that he has the necessary skill and mentality to become the new franchise QB.