With one domino down for the Pittsburgh Steelers following the trade for star wide receiver DK Metcalf, the attention shifts back to the quarterback position, where things continue to heat up for the Black and Gold.
One option that was largely thought of as very unlikely is starting to gain steam though.
That would be Aaron Rodgers. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Rodgers has “emerged” as an option for the Steelers, and the two sides are expected to talk and “explore” the opportunity of working together in 2025, with the idea of Rodgers playing for Mike Tomlin “in play.”
Free-agent QB Justin Fields has been talking with the Steelers, but needs to understand more about the Jets situation and offer that can’t come until after noon today. So the Steelers and Jets, with Fields mulling options and Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson waiting in the wings. https://t.co/1cGu9zLwZZ
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 10, 2025
Schefter also reports along with Rodgers, that QB Justin Fields has been talking with the Steelers, but he needs to understand more about the situation with the New York Jets — a team that has been heavily connected to the young quarterback all offseason — though an offer can’t come until this afternoon.
With Fields waiting, names like Rodgers and Russell Wilson are waiting in the wings in Pittsburgh.
Rodgers has been a name connected to the Steelers throughout the offseason, as he’s a veteran quarterback that is a big name and has a history with Mike Tomlin, albeit a small one due to some interactions on the field during matchups, with the two having mutual respect for each other.
Following his tweet, Rodgers appeared on ESPN Radio’s Unsportsmanlike Conduct and further explained the option of Rodgers in Pittsburgh.
Yes, Rodgers remains a big name at the quarterback position. His play hasn’t matched the power his name carries, especially last year, but he’s still that star-power guy.
He’s fallen off on the field, though, and even worse, he’s become more of a distraction off the field, too. He’s always in the media pushing back on narratives and questioned the support the Jets get from ownership last year. Rodgers was at the center of multiple Jets storylines last season, including the firing of head coach Robert Saleh and the trade for Davante Adams, not to mention beefing with young wide receiver Garrett Wilson.
That doesn’t seem like a guy, in theory, that the Steelers would sign up for at the receiver position. But with how desperate the Steelers are to find an answer at the QB position, Rodgers could certainly be in play.
During the 2024 season, Rodgers played in all 17 games for the Jets, completing 63% of his passes for 3,897 yards with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He was also sacked 40 times and played through an ankle injury that he suffered during the Jets’ game in London in Week 5.
In Week 7 against the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium, Rodgers completed 24-of-39 passes for 276 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, which were both pulled down by then-rookie defensive back Beanie Bishop Jr. Rodgers was also sacked one time in the Jets’ 37-15 loss to the Steelers.
Last December as it became clear his time in New York was going to come to an end, Rodgers spoke highly of Tomlin during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
“There’s only one Mike Tomlin,” Rodgers told the show. “I would say that first and foremost, you gotta give Mike credit. He’s got a special sauce to think about the way that he coaches. I’m just saying this from afar. I haven’t been around him, but I’ve heard, talked to a lot of guys that played for him.”
The two went viral in 2021 for a moment on the field in a matchup between the Steelers and Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field with Tomlin calling a timeout before Rodgers could go hurry-up and catch the Steelers with too many men, and a similar moment happened last season, too.
Could that be enough to lead to a marriage for the 2025 season? That remains to be seen. But the two sides are expected to talk, and Rodgers has emerged as a legitimate option at QB for the Steelers.
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