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Pittsburgh Steelers: Ryan Clark’s Shedeur Sanders Take Leaves Stephen A. Smith Absolutely Baffled

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ search for a clear answer under center continues. Even if Aaron Rodgers comes over to Pittsburgh and starts for them in 2025, he’s not the long-term QB option for the Steelers.

This uncertainty by the Steelers about the most important position in football makes it somewhat perplexing that they did not pick a quarterback in the early rounds of the draft.

They drafted Will Howard of the Ohio State Buckeyes in the sixth round, but Pittsburgh could have used a first or second-round pick to get a QB with much better reviews. Pittsburgh also had chances to take Shedeur Sanders, whose controversial slide ended when the Cleveland Browns took him in the fifth round.

The Steelers’ seeming disinclination to take Sanders amid the team’s clear QB need has left many, including Stephen A. Smith of ESPN, perplexed.

“I think there needs to be an investigation as to why they didn’t draft a quarterback,” Smith said in a recent First Take episode. “How you don’t draft a Shedeur Sanders? How you don’t do that?”

Former Steelers defensive back Ryan Clark, meanwhile, responded to Smith: “Here’s what I can tell you about the draft. If he would have fallen to the seventh round, the Steelers weren’t drafting Shedeur Sanders.”

Smith, sounding baffled, asked Clark, “Why?”

“Shedeur Sanders was not going to be picked by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Whatever the evaluation was, whatever decision was made, he was not going to be the quarterback picked, drafted, called by Mike Tomlin over time,” answered Clark.

 

WR Adam Thielen: Panthers' offense 'not hitting on any cylinders'

 

No one outside of the Steelers knows for sure why Pittsburgh did take Sanders, despite his availability through multiple rounds. In any case, the Steelers don’t have an inspiring QB room at the moment, with Mason Rudolph viewed as QB1 and Howard and Skylar Thompson behind the pecking order.

Ranking every QB the Steelers will face in 2025 from easiest to toughest

The Steelers’ defense must be ready to face the league’s best quarterbacks.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are fortunate to return a strong defense in 2025. The upcoming season schedule features some intriguing matchups at quarterback for T.J. Watt and company to face off against.

Naturally, playing in the AFC North, Pittsburgh goes into the season knowing that nearly a quarter of its games will be against elite quarterbacks, specifically Joe Burrow in Cincinnati and Lamar Jackson in Baltimore.

But with schedule rotations being what they are, the Steelers have to face some of the league’s sharpest quarterbacks regularly throughout the campaign this fall. Let’s rank those quarterbacks featured on the Steelers’ 2025 schedule.

Ranking the quarterback threats: Who is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ biggest test?

14. Whoever the Cleveland Browns field

The Browns have four quarterback options, and none of them are particularly inspiring. Joe Flacco has shown in the past few seasons that he can still turn it on from time to time, but there’s little reason to believe he’s the full-time starter in 2025.

Steelers fans are all too familiar with Kenny Pickett’s shortcomings, and the rookies were late selections for good reason. The Steelers face the Browns in Weeks 6 and 17, and will likely face different quarterbacks each time.

13. J.J. McCarthy, Vikings

Thanks to a significant knee injury, former Michigan national champion quarterback J.J. McCarthy missed his entire rookie season. Minnesota has high hopes for the former No. 10 overall selection, but without much NFL experience, it’s difficult to rank him any higher.

Still, he has an early opportunity to grab attention with a solid showing in Ireland against the Steelers in Week 4.

 

WR Adam Thielen: Panthers' offense 'not hitting on any cylinders' 

12. Anthony Richardson, Colts

Anthony Richardson is the kind of quarterback that leaves fans screaming “Wow!” one second and crying “Why!?” the next. His inconsistencies and questionable toughness are significant drawbacks to his game. Furthermore, his injury history is problematic.

The Steelers have faced the Colts in each of the past two seasons, but only Anthony Richardson for a handful of plays. The Colts will come to Pittsburgh in Week 9, with or without Richardson as a healthy starter.

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