Mike Tomlin seems to be driving the Steelers’ bus toward Aaron Rodgers, but what happens if they end up crashing? If Rodgers is Tomlin’s move, and it fails, how do the Steelers hold him accountable, if at all? That’s a topic discussed recently by Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on 93.7 The Fan.
“I think Art Rooney and that front office are deferring to [Mike Tomlin] when it comes to Rodgers,” he said. “Let’s face it, any free agent that’s gonna sign here, playing for Mike Tomlin is gonna be a big part of that equation. A lot of people around the league want to do that.
“I don’t know if that Steelers logo right now means as much to Aaron Rodgers as Mike Tomlin does,” he added. “I think Mike is a big part of this equation, and I think if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t sign, he’ll probably get most of the criticism.”
Perhaps it’s worth noting that Rooney has seemed a bit irritated when discussing the subject previously this offseason. Is that an indication that the Steelers’ president allowed Mike Tomlin to dictate their pursuit of Aaron Rodgers? Of course, Rooney is ultimately responsible for all decisions. But presidents don’t fire themselves. And if they defer responsibilities to those who fail, those who fail lose their jobs.
While the Steelers wouldn’t fire Tomlin if Rodgers fails here, could it affect his standing in the building?
“Absolutely. It would be his first losing season,” Fittipaldo suggested. “Believe me when I tell you this … they believe that they can get to the playoffs and win in the playoffs with Aaron Rodgers. … If it turns out another way, I think it’s gonna be bad news for the Steelers.”
Because the Steelers are working on a one-year timeline with Aaron Rodgers, though, I think the impact on Mike Tomlin is minimal. Everyone involved understands this is a matter for 2025, and 2025 only. They want to draft a franchise quarterback next year and are building toward that.
As with recent years, however, there just haven’t been many great or realistic quarterback opportunities. Tomlin and the Steelers haven’t been in a position to make an aggressive move up, and some recent quarterback classes have been weak.
After all, this past draft, the Steelers had their choice of all but one quarterback, and they passed on all. Tomlin and the previous front office drafted Kenny Pickett as the first quarterback off the board in 2022. That didn’t work out at all, and since then, they haven’t bitten the draft bullet again. Aaron Rodgers is just the latest stopgap answer until they can strike on a more long-term solution.
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