If the Pittsburgh Steelers only make one more acquisition this offseason, just about everybody would say it should be for a quarterback. But one Bleacher Report writer argued Aaron Rodgers shouldn’t necessarily be the target.
On Saturday, BR’s Moe Moton named a trade for Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis as the final offseason move the Steelers should make.
“Regardless of Aaron Rodgers’ decision to play for the Steelers or retire, Pittsburgh should offer a fourth-round pick for Levis. Rodgers will turn 42 in December. At this point, he’s a year-to-year player. Levis has two years left on his rookie deal,” wrote Moton.
“If the Steelers finish the 2025 season with a mediocre record and Rodgers only sticks around for one year, they would at least have an experienced young starter in Levis, whom they can develop for the long term. In seven seasons, Mason Rudolph has been a game manager. At 25, Levis, with his big arm and mobility, has far more upside.”
The Titans drafted Levis at No. 33 overall in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. That made him the very first pick of Day 2 that year.
In two seasons, Levis has posted a 5-16 record as a starter with a 61% completion percentage and 7 yards per pass. He’s also thrown 21 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 21 games.
The Titans drafted Cam Ward at No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. Ward is expected to start in front of Levis for Tennessee this season.
Why Will Levis Could Fit With Steelers
Levis came into the NFL as a borderline first-round pick. Fittingly, he was just one selection away from being a first-rounder.
The traits Moton described in Levis — his big arm and mobility — were main reasons why.
“Levis is one of the most physically gifted quarterbacks in the draft, but there are warts in his game that might not be easily corrected. He has prototypical size and experience operating in a pro-style passing attack,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote during the 2023 draft process. “He’s an athletic passer, with the ability to zip off-platform throws with plus velocity from a compact release.
“Levis’ talent is well worth an investment, but could require a talented quarterback coach and a patient plan to tighten up his mechanics, rebuild his confidence and explore an offensive scheme that best suits him.”
Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith wasn’t able to develop Desmond Ridder with the Atlanta Falcons. But Smith maximized the talent of former first-rounder Ryan Tannehill when he was offensive coordinator with the Titans from 2019-20.
As Moton explained, the Steelers don’t have a lot of upside in Mason Rudolph. Interestingly, Rudolph played with Levis in Tennessee last season, which could make Levis’ transition to Pittsburgh easier.
The Steelers selected Ohio State’s Will Howard in the sixth round this spring. While fans are excited about Howard, there’s likely a reason he was a late Day 3 pick.
Trading for Levis would give the Steelers a lot more raw talent behind center.
Steelers Unlikely to Sign Aaron Rodgers & Trade for Levis
Trading for Levis is an intriguing alternative to Rodgers if winning in 2025 isn’t Pittsburgh’s main priority. But interestingly, Moton suggested Pittsburgh could add Levis even if they sign Rodgers.
That’s unlikely to happen for a couple reasons. First, the Steelers aren’t going to want to carry four quarterbacks on their active roster. Pittsburgh already has Rudolph and Howard. Both are pretty much guaranteed to make the regular season roster.
Quarterback Skylar Thompson is also on the team’s offseason roster, but his place with the team is a lot less secure.
Furthermore, if the Steelers trade for Levis, they shouldn’t wait until 2026 to see if he can play better in Pittsburgh than he did in Tennessee. The Steelers should be motivated to have him compete with Rudolph and Howard for the starting job immediately.
If in that scenario none of those three quarterbacks emerged as a quality long-time starter, then the Steelers could target a signal-caller early in the 2026 draft.
The likelihood the Steelers trade for Levis isn’t very high, but it’s possible. The potential the Steelers sign Rodgers and trade for the Titans quarterback is probably close to zero.
