Even as we near the 2025 league year, Aaron Rodgers has commanded enough attention he is holding up the quarterback market. Set to turn 42 later this year, the all-time QB talent is believed to be the first choice of the Steelers and Giants. The Vikings are lurking, even if they do not appear the favorite here.
Wilson has emerged as a backup plan for the Steelers and likely the Giants as well (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). If Wilson does not land in New York or back in Pittsburgh, finding a fit may be difficult. Not connected to the Vikings, Wilson also does not look to be an option for the Titans. Tennessee is not interested in the 13-year veteran, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes.
The Titans were connected to Sam Darnold before the market opened, but the team was not viewed as likely to exceed $30MM per year for the 2024 Pro Bowler. The Seahawks did, giving Darnold a three-year, $100.5MM contract. Tennessee was not believed to be interested in a reclamation-project-type arm, pointing the team away from some of free agency’s options. Though, Wilson would not profile as such. The decorated ex-Seahawk is nearing the end of a great career; there is not much mystery to the 36-year-old passer at this point. Even though Wilson would provide the Titans with some veteran certainty, they are looking elsewhere.
Tennessee has not been closely tied to Rodgers, either. The team still has Will Levis and is open to bringing back Mason Rudolph. The Titans coming out of free agency without a starter-caliber veteran will point them to a quarterback in the first round. Holding the No. 1 overall pick, the Titans have Cam Ward backers in their building — even as trade-down rumors have swirled. A Shedeur Sanders selection would seemingly hinge on how far Tennessee moves down, should it opt to add assets in exchange for No. 1 overall.
The Steelers gave Wilson their starting job out of training camp. This, however, came as Justin Fields closed the gap between the two passers — after a stream of offseason assurances the job was Wilson’s — while the older QB battled a nagging calf injury. After aggravating the calf issue, Wilson missed six games. Player and assistant support for Fields to keep the gig existed, but Mike Tomlin “acted alone” in reinstalling Wilson. This route helped guide the Steelers to 10-3, but Wilson lost momentum after Pittsburgh’s season ended with a five-game losing streak. Wilson and OC Arthur Smith also clashed about the offensive direction, which reminds of Wilson’s issues late in his Seattle days and during his two-year Denver stint.
While Wilson has spoken to the Steelers about a deal, it was clear Fields was the team’s preference. The nine-time Pro Bowler may not be a slam-dunk Hall of Famer, after the past three seasons, but he is the NFL’s third-leading QB rusher and coming off a season in which he ranked 23rd in QBR (two spots north of Rodgers). Following a 16-TD, five-INT 11-game sample in Pittsburgh — at 7.4 yards per attempt, which is much higher than Rodgers’ 2024 number (6.7) — Wilson will not be guaranteed a starting job in 2025.