The Pittsburgh Steelers have not had any consistency at the quarterback position since Ben Roethlisberger was still suiting up for the Black and Gold. He retired after the 2021 season and Pittsburgh has struggled to put together a competent quarterback room in the years since.
The room is completely turning over for the second season in a row, and the current starting quarterback for the Steelers is Mason Rudolph. The quarterback had a good run at the end of the 2023 season, but he should not be relied upon to start 17 games in 2025.
Pittsburgh has to find a way to land a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft, even though Rudolph would be more reliable than any rookie to start the year. Fans want to see some sort of future at quarterback, however, and that might be what the organization finds if it decides to go after a quarterback in the upcoming draft.
The Steelers have been linked to both Jaxson Dart and Shedeur Sanders, who are both expected to go in the first round. However, the organization has also spent time with Tyler Shough, and team insider Ray Fittipaldo explained that this is the best option for Pittsburgh on a recent episode of the North Shore Drive Podcast.
“If you’re going to take one in this draft, you might as well take the one that has the highest upside,” Fittipaldo said. “Other than Cam Ward, I think Tyler Shough is that guy.”
Shough has some big fans going into the 2025 NFL Draft, including draft experts like Todd McShay and Mel Kiper. His age and durability are the biggest knocks against the quarterback, as he is 25 years old and has played at the collegiate level for seven seasons. Shough was the backup quarterback to Justin Herbert at Oregon, and then transferred to Texas Tech before playing his final season at Louisville.
Shough struggled with injuries throughout his time at Texas Tech. He suffered a broken collarbone during the 2021 season, had some shoulder issues in 2022, and broke his leg in 2023. This led to him transferring to Louisville, where he had a successful season in 2024 and is considered one of the top quarterback prospects entering the league in 2025.
The prospect has some great athleticism as he tested well at the NFL Scouting Combine, and he displayed his mobility on the field multiple times throughout his career. Fittipaldo believes this is attractive to Pittsburgh, which might lead the organization to selecting him.
“Please don’t tell me if you ran a 4.61 40 [yard dash] that a guy like Arthur Smith isn’t gonna dial some things up for you and take advantage of that in the running game,” Fittipaldo said. “I’m thinking like, Ryan Tannehill type of stuff here. Good passer, can make some plays, can get a first down for you.”
A Ryan Tannehill comparison might not be what Pittsburgh fans want to hear, but he was a fairly athletic quarterback throughout his career. He also didn’t start playing quarterback until later on in his life, as he started as a wide receiver at Texas A&M. Shough has plenty of experience at the position and could become a better player.
Shough could go as early as the top of the second round to one of the quarterback-needy teams like the New York Giants or Cleveland Browns, but he could fall into the third round as well. The Steelers may trade back, which could give the organization more draft capital to pick Shough, but if that doesn’t happen, the franchise should shoot to select him at 83.
The prospect should be able to come in and compete with Rudolph for the starting job. He has been in college for seven seasons and gone through tons of adversity, which makes him an intriguing, pro-ready quarterback.
