Many expected an Aaron Rodgers decision before the start of free agency. That time has come and gone. As the Pittsburgh Steelers still wait to cement their quarterback plans, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport offers a new timeline. Appearing on Good Morning Football Thursday, Rapoport says an answer is likely to come well before the NFL Draft.
“My understanding was Aaron Rodgers had planned to inform these Steelers of his decision at some point before the draft with plenty of time,” Rapoport told the show. “I would say likely end of this month.”
During the NFL Combine, GM Omar Khan said he believed Rodgers would decide his future “sooner than later” without a repeat of last offseason that didn’t conclude until June. While Khan wasn’t confident in believing an answer would come before the start of free agency, he was positive it would happen before April’s draft.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter shared the same sentiment.
“The feeling initially was mid-March, but that seemed to be pushed back some,” he said.
For his part, Rodgers seems to be in no rush to give the Steelers a thumbs up or down. Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show earlier this month, he didn’t sound close to a decision and noted the team hasn’t provided a deadline – or contract offer. Known for disliking offseason workouts, Rodgers would probably prefer a repeat of last season. For Pittsburgh, the sooner there’s an answer, the better.
Providing an answer before the draft may only impact Pittsburgh’s plans to a small degree. If there’s a quarterback they love, Rodgers’ return won’t prevent the Steelers from drafting him.
But if Rodgers retires, it’s easier to justify a third-round pick on a quarterback for a team that almost always carries three on the 53-man roster. Throw Rodgers into the mix alongside Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and a mid-round draft pick, and someone, likely Rudolph, becomes odd man out.
Rapoport’s answer is déjà vu. Last offseason, pundits and insiders had the same shifting timelines. First, an answer in March, then before the draft, then sometime in the summer. The same is happening. Insiders like Rapoport initially seemed sure Rodgers’ situation would be settled in early March before free agency. In fact, late last month, Rapoport said it would “surely” come before free agency.
If there’s no finality by the end of the month, insiders will say it’ll happen before the draft. If the draft comes and goes, insiders will say before mandatory minicamp. And so on. The goal posts are ever moving, where Aaron Rodgers’ predictors are never wrong. Just early.
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