With the Minnesota Vikings reportedly not pursuing Aaron Rodgers, the four-time MVP’s potential destinations for next season seem to be down to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants. While the Steelers have waited over a week since the start of the legal tampering period for Rodgers to make a decision, the team is reportedly preparing to pivot if Rodgers’ doesn’t accept the one-year deal the team offered, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
“The Steelers are offering Rodgers, 41, a one-year deal to be their starter, but they are preparing to go in a different direction if an agreement can’t be reached with the former Green Bay Packers and New York Jets quarterback,” Dulac wrote.
While the Steelers likely offer Rodgers a better chance to win than the Giants, New York is reportedly offering Rodgers more money. It also would allow him to stay in New York, where he spent the last two years as a member of the New York Jets, and the comfort and familiarity could be appealing to Rodgers.
Depending on how quickly Rodgers makes his decision, the Steelers could look to Russell Wilson if he remains a free agent. But if that option isn’t available or they decide to go a different direction, Pittsburgh is seemingly comfortable with the idea of starting Mason Rudolph and signing a veteran backup.
There aren’t many options left in that department, but Joe Flacco, Drew Lock or Tyler Huntley could all be potential options for Pittsburgh as a veteran backup to Rudolph.
The priority remains to sign Aaron Rodgers, but the Steelers at least are planning for the alternative if he signs with the Giants. Retirement is also still on the table for Rodgers, and that may be a more palatable option now that his preferred option with the Vikings have been essentially ruled out.
Yesterday, the Steelers reportedly felt they were inching closer to a decision out of Rodgers, so the process could pick up. But it’s really anyone’s guess when Rodgers will make a decision, although the Vikings news this morning should theoretically speed things up, which would allow the Steelers to figure out who will be under center in 2025 at a reasonable point in the offseason.
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