Rich Eisen Weighs Steelers Backup Options If Rodgers Sits
rich eisen centered the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback plan on one condition: what they should do if Aaron Rodgers does not return this season. That debate sat inside a broader Path to the Draft discussion that stretched across the league, but Pittsburgh’s situation was the one tied to a single roster decision.
Rodgers’ status drives the conversation because the Steelers are not just weighing a short-term fill-in. They are also deciding how much of their quarterback path should be shaped by the 2026 NFL Draft discussions that were part of the same segment package.
Rodgers And Pittsburgh
The Steelers’ spot in the discussion came with a clear trigger. If Rodgers stays out, the team has to decide what it does next at quarterback, and that makes the position the most immediate planning point in the room. The conversation was framed as a backup-plan exercise, not a finished answer.
That is why the Rodgers question did not sit alone. The Path to the Draft crew also spent time on other quarterback-related and roster-building angles, including who should start at quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams in 2027 and whether the New England Patriots need to trade for wide receiver A.J. Brown after not drafting a wide receiver. Pittsburgh’s issue was different, though, because it was tied to a specific veteran and a possible absence this season.
Draft Conversations Around The League
The same set of segments ran through several team-specific evaluations. Rhett Lewis and Bucky Brooks discussed whether the Cincinnati Bengals addressed their defense well enough with the picks they made in the 2026 NFL Draft, while Daniel Jeremiah identified which Detroit Lions draft pick best fit the culture Dan Campbell has built in Detroit.
Elsewhere, the crew evaluated which Baltimore Ravens rookie will become Lamar Jackson’s preferred target in the 2026 NFL season. Members of the Ravens’ leadership also gave linebacker Zion Young a phone call during the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, adding another concrete roster note to the league-wide draft review.
The draft discussion did not stay limited to early selections. The Path to the Draft crew also identified late-round picks from the 2026 NFL Draft that could pay dividends in the near future, recapped the AFC West Draft, and debated which general manager sent the strongest message in draft. Cynthia Frelund projected which wide receivers from the 2026 NFL Draft will produce the most this upcoming season, while Frelund and Brian Baldinger broke down the San Francisco 49ers’ picks of De’Zhaun Stribling and Kaelon Black.
The Steelers’ quarterback question stood out because it was the one tied to an immediate fallback plan instead of a pure projection. If Rodgers does not return, Pittsburgh has to keep moving from debate to decision, and that makes the quarterback room one of the clearest pressure points in the club’s planning.
