Arguably the most high-profile storyline of the offseason has been the situation with two former Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks in Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers, both of whom are looking for a place to play.
By all accounts, Rodgers is the one holding things up for both. Rodgers is the No. 1 option for the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants, and Wilson is seemingly the fallback option for at least the Giants, and quite possibly for the Steelers, although reports suggest he may be done in Pittsburgh no matter what.
Wilson is also drawing interest from the Cleveland Browns, a team he had a free-agent visit with recently. The 10-time Pro Bowler has also met with the Giants.
In a recent article making predictions for some of the most high-profile free agents left on the open market, Fantasy Life’s Peter Overzet predicts Wilson will end up re-signing in Pittsburgh.
However, he adds that he believes it won’t be long before the veteran is benched in favor of a quarterback the Steelers draft: Ole Mis signal-caller Jaxson Dart.
“The Steelers bring back Wilson for pennies and then draft Jaxson Dart with their 21st overall pick. Wilson throws three picks in Week 4 and the team turns to Dart,” Overzet wrote.
We could definitely see this scenario playing out in Pittsburgh if Wilson is brought back.
After all, he probably should’ve been benched late last season when both he and the offense overall struggled mightily. And, it’s also possible the Steelers draft a signal-caller with the team lacking a long-term answer at the position, something Wilson doesn’t figure to be at the age of 36.
Once considered a Day 2 pick, at best, Dart’s stock has skyrocketed in the pre-draft process and there are now experts mocking him in the first round. Pittsburgh could have a crack at Dart at No. 21 overall, but he’ll probably be off the board by the time the Steelers are on the clock again, which comes in the third round.
Dart finished his collegiate career with 11,970 passing yards and 95 total touchdowns to 27 interceptions.
Ultimately, we believe the Steelers will come away with Rodgers in free agency, leaving Wilson looking for a new home. From there, Pittsburgh could very well select a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Dart is a realistic option for Pittsburgh if he’s on the board when the team picks in Round 1.
