The Aaron Rodgers sweepstakes are beginning to heat up, with the legendary quarterback visiting the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday. And in the wake of this meeting between the two sides, it sounds like the Steelers are pushing all their chips to the center of the table when it comes to their pursuit of the former New York Jets passer.
After the Minnesota Vikings bowed out of the race for Rodgers' signature, the Steelers were left with the New York Giants as his top two suitors. Pittsburgh emerged as a clear favorite with Rodgers opting to visit them, and while the two sides did not reach an agreement on a deal, the team is “aggressively pursuing” the future Hall of Famer in an effort to shore up their quarterback situation.
“I checked with a team source that said they're aggressively pursuing this, he's number one on their radar,” Jeremy Fowler said on SportsCenter. “Russell Wilson (is) not totally off the list, but they would like to try to make this happen.”
Steelers locking in on Aaron Rodgers as top quarterback target
Related Pittsburgh Steelers NewsArticle continues below
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) rolls out during the first half against the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
With retirement not seeming to be a true option for Rodgers at this point, it's looking increasingly likely that he will eventually land with the Steelers. Further supporting this notion is that reports indicate the two sides already have the parameters for a contract in place, which should make the negotiating process pretty straightforward if Rodgers decides he wants to play in Pittsburgh.
Rodgers started all 17 games for the Jets in 2024, throwing for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns. Despite that, the team struggled mightily, posting just a 5-12 record, which led to New York's new regime moving on from Rodgers by releasing him ahead of free agency. The Steelers lost one of their own quarterbacks, Justin Fields, to the Jets in free agency, but they reunited with Mason Rudolph after he spent one season with the Tennessee Titans.
a]:text-link [&_>a]:underline">Owen Crisafulli is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints, who also covers the NBA and MLB. He recently received his Masters in Business Administration from Nichols College. Previously, he obtained his Bachelor's degree in Sport Management, ran his own website, and had bylines at FanSided and the Basketball Network.