The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking for their quarterback for the 2025 season. Could it be Alabama’s Jalen Milroe?
Milroe dined in Tuscaloosa with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, general manager Omar Khan and quarterbacks coach Tom Arth on Tuesday, the eve of the Crimson Tide’s pro day, the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported.
Justin Fields started the first six games of the 2024 season at quarterback for Pittsburgh. He gave way to Russell Wilson, who stayed at the helm through the Steelers’ 28-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the AFC playoffs on Jan. 11.
Obtained in a trade with the Chicago Bears on March 17, 2024, Fields left Pittsburgh on Friday for the New York Jets in NFL free agency.
A 10-time Pro Bowl selection, Wilson remains available as an unrestricted free agent, as does an even more decorated quarterback – four-time NFL Most Valuable Player Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers is on the open market after being released by the Jets on Wednesday.
If the Steelers seek their quarterback in the draft, they’ll get their first chance at Pick No. 21, barring a trade. Pittsburgh has six selections in the 2025 NFL Draft, which will be held April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Miami (Fla.)’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders are generally considered the quarterbacks most likely to come off the board earliest in the 2025 draft. Opinions get more divided after that, with Milroe, Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, Texas’ Quinn Ewers and Syracuse’s Kyle McCord in the discussion for the No. 3 quarterback.
The Steelers have two quarterbacks on their roster – Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson.
Rudolph started 13 games while spending the first five seasons of his career with Pittsburgh. After starting five games for the Tennessee Titans in 2024, Rudolph returned to the Steelers in free agency on Sunday.
After three starts in three seasons with the Miami Dolphins, Thompson signed a reserve/future contract with Pittsburgh in January.
Milroe enters the NFL after throwing for 6,016 yards and 45 touchdowns and running for 1,577 yards and 33 touchdowns in four seasons at Alabama, the past two as the Crimson Tide’s No. 1 QB. He became the fourth player in SEC history with at least 45 passing and 33 rushing touchdowns.
Four Alabama alumni started at quarterback in NFL games during the 2024 season. Jalen Hurts with the Philadelphia Eagles, Tua Tagovailoa with the Miami Dolphins and Bryce Young with the Carolina Panthers were the No. 1 QBs for their teams. Mac Jones started seven games for the Jacksonville Jaguars with Trevor Lawrence out with injuries.
Jones changed teams during the current free-agency period by signing with the San Francisco 49ers.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.