The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t received a commitment from Aaron Rodgers on whether he’s going to return for a second season in the Black and Gold. If one doesn’t come soon, the Steelers, who have been patient in their pursuit of Rodgers the last two offseasons, may not be as welcoming. Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show, NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero said that the organization’s patience could run out soon.
“At some point, the patience is going to run out. It certainly seems like the patience for Steelers fans, just based on the feedback I get everytime I talk about Aaron Rodgers, may already be running out for some people. For Art Rooney, for Mike McCarthy, who’s trying to get the team ready on the field, that patience may be tested. I don’t believe that has happened yet, if they don’t have something in place by the start of next week, I think that we get there.”
There’s a big difference between the patience of the team running out and the patience of the key decision-makers being “tested,” as Pelissero put it if a deal doesn’t happen by Monday. The longer this thing drags on, the more likely the Steelers just decide to move on. But if there isn’t a deal in place by Monday, it sure doesn’t sound like the Steelers are prepared to cut ties.
Not having him signed by the beginning of OTAs may cause some frustration, but frustration doesn’t mean that the interest will die. How far Rodgers wants to push things by delaying his decision could eventually lead to the team’s patience running out, but it would have to be a really prolonged process from here on out for things to reach that point.
The Steelers’ organization clearly didn’t think it would take this long for things with Rodgers to work out. Omar Khan said at the NFL Combine that the process would be quicker than last year, and Art Rooney keeps moving the goalposts for when he expects an answer from Rodgers. It didn’t come by the draft, and we’re at risk of it not coming ahead of the start of OTAs.
As Pelissero said, a large portion of the fanbase is fed up by the process and the waiting game for Rodgers. And while feelings of frustration may continue to sink into the front office, the Steelers ultimately know they have a better chance to win with Rodgers at QB. For an organization with an owner in Rooney who is staunchly against the idea of rebuilding, that gives Rodgers a lot of leeway. The Steelers aren’t going to force his hand anytime soon, even if frustration builds.
There may be a point where patience runs out, as Pelissero said. But even if the patience of McCarthy, Rooney and co. will be “tested” without a deal in place by Monday, it’s hard to see the Steelers moving on.
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