As Shedeur Sanders slid all the way to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft during the weekend, all eyes were on the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were considered a team that could draft him.
Instead, the Steelers passed on Sanders several times, and he ultimately landed with the Cleveland Browns, where he could end up facing Pittsburgh twice per season moving forward — or, he might not.
The Browns now have a crowded quarterbacks room, with Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Sanders and 2025 third-round pick, Dillon Gabriel, although Watson can be forgotten about for this coming season after re-tearing his Achilles.
It goes without saying that the starting job is up for grabs in Cleveland, but due to the fact that the Colorado quarterback was just a fifth-round pick and has three other signal-callers ahead of him in the pecking order, it isn't crazy to think he might not make it past final cuts in August.
With that in mind, it stands to reason that the Steelers could be one of the teams with interest in picking up Sanders off the scrap heap if that happens.
After all, even if Aaron Rodgers signs, he isn't guaranteed to be around for more than one season, which could put the Steelers back in the quarterback market in 2026, as Pittsburgh doesn't have a long-term solution on its roster currently.
Mason Rudolph is a fine backup but not somebody who can be relied upon as a long-term starter. Skylar Thompson is an even bigger question mark, and 2025 draft pick Will Howard is a total wild card, especially with his being a sixth-round pick.
If the Steelers aren't satisfied with their options, they could take a flyer on Sanders if he's cut, which would be incredibly interesting for several reasons.
Love it or hate it, the circus around a quarterbacks room that includes Rodgers and Sanders would be fascinating to watch. Furthermore, there is always the chance that Sanders figures things out in Pittsburgh and burns the Browns for the 10-plus years.
Would be bank on any of that happening? No, but we can't rule it out, either.
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