NFL teams are entering the third week of free agency, and the Pittsburgh Steelers still don’t know whether Aaron Rodgers will be back under center next season.
The future Hall of Famer continues to mull retirement, and he’s in no rush to make a decision. If anything, it might be a while until he finally announces his next career move.
With that in mind, new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy tried to do his part to keep the star quarterback in town. During a Monday tribute to former Green Bay Packers president Bob Harlan, McCarthy admitted that he’d love to coach Rodgers again:
"Yes, it'd be a great story," McCarthy saidm per Rob Demovsky of ESPN. "I don't know. I would love to tell everybody breaking news. It's really cool to see Aaron at 42, a young man at 22, all that he's been able to accomplish, and where he's at in his personal life, trying to make this decision. He's in a really good place."
Rodgers and McCarthy won a Super Bowl together in the head coach’s 13-year tenure at Lambeau Field. He was his head coach in his prime, and he drew some criticism for winning only one ring despite arguably having the greatest pure passer in football history.
He’s clearly no longer the same top-tier gunslinger he once was, but Rodgers proved that he’s still got something left in the tank last season.
Notably, the Steelers may not have many options if Rodgers decides to call it quits, with second-year QB Will Howard and free agent Kirk Cousins as the most likely candidates.
The Steelers’ decision to hire McCarthy, Rodgers former coach, as Mike Tomlin’s replacement, hints at a desire to keep him in the AFC North for a little longer. For now, however, Rodgers’ decision is anyone’s guess.
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