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Colin Cowherd predicts Steelers draft Jalen Milroe amid Aaron Rodgers uncertainty

by:Alex Byington•03/27/25•

_AlexByington

Rodgers-Milroe
Aaron Rodgers (Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images) | Jalen Milroe (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

With a less than a month before the 2025 NFL Draft, Colin Cowherd is hearing some interesting rumblings from within the Pittsburgh Steelers organization. Amid its wait-and-see pursuit of 41-year-old free agent QB Aaron Rodgers, the FS1 host believes the Steelers may have already turned their focus on taking a surprise quarterback with their first-round draft pick.

During Thursday’s episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd on FS1, Cowherd suggested the QB-needy Pittsburgh Steelers are leaning toward selecting talented dual-threat quarterback Jalen Milroe out of Alabama with their 21st overall pick, regardless of whether Rodgers ultimately signs or not.

“Keep your head on a swivel Aaron Rodgers, I’m told the Steelers really like Jalen Milroe (with the) 21st pick, first round,” Cowherd said Thursday. “So, if Aaron signs with Pittsburgh, it’s going to become a Kirk Cousins (situation, because) they’re taking a quarterback.

“I’ve been told the Steelers are looking around at all these AFC quarterbacks and Milroe is the most athletically-gifted guy to come out of this draft at that position since Lamar Jackson, and they feel as an organization that they need ‘special,’” Cowherd continued. “They just don’t stack up, they need special at quarterback. And I’ve said he’s a better version of Anthony Richardson. Great kid, throws a deep ball, and now with D.K. Metcalf, they have a deep threat along with (George) Pickens. But this is potentially a Kirk Cousins situation.”

Cowherd is obviously referring to the Atlanta Falcons signing Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract in free agency last offseason, only to draft former Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall selection in the 2024 draft.

But should Rodgers ultimately sign with the Steelers, and with a first-round pick in the low 20s, this year’s Steelers situation would be more similar to Rodgers’ own draft experience. With an aging Brett Favre entrenched as the starter, the Green Bay Packers selected Rodgers with the 24th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, ending his infamous draft day slide.

Colin Cowherd: Aaron Rodgers ‘not going to play’ for one-year Russell Wilson-like deal

Of course, Rodgers landing in Pittsburgh is hardly a certainty at this point, with Cowherd suggesting the future Hall of Fame quarterback’s “pride” could be playing a factor in his free agent waffling.

“This is Aaron’s reality in 2025, he’s a stop-gap. The other thing is, I was told by an NFL exec, they thought the Steelers did some very poor general managing by paying DK Metcalf … (because now) they don’t have a lot to pay Aaron Rodgers,” Cowherd said. “And Aaron’s got pride, he wants to sign a contract that’s at least (close to) Sam Darnold’s — $33-35 million. He doesn’t want to sign the Russell Wilson deal with the Giants. That Russell Wilson contract is tied to playing time and performance, it’s $10 million. Aaron’s not going to play for that. Aaron wants to get mid-30s at least, he’s got pride, he’s got a better career, he believes, than Russell Wilson.”

Of course, Rodgers also doesn’t have a lot of options, especially after the Minnesota Vikings effectively pulled themselves out of the rat race for the former Packers and New York Jets QB. And while the Steelers have appeal, the organization is also looking beyond the 2025 season entering next month’s draft.

“This is the market that Aaron has created. Tom Brady ended it on his terms, Aaron, unless he retires, is not,” Cowherd added. “It’s either going to be a less-than-ideal offer from the Pittsburgh Steelers, and if its the 21st pick and Milroe is not taken, Pittsburgh is leaning now in taking him. … Milroe’s an insane athlete who throws a beautiful deep ball, big-time athlete, wonderful kid, great family, but he’s incredibly inconsistent, and probably needs to sit for a year to be ready to play in the NFL, if it even works. … So you can talk about retirement and do darkness retreats, but you’re not going to end your career on your terms.”