The Pittsburgh Steelers may not have a deadline for Aaron Rodgers when it comes to his decision on where he’s going to play next season, with Pittsburgh actively pursuing the four-time MVP, but Mike Tomlin does know when he wants to have an answer at quarterback. Per Mike DeFabo of The Athletic, Tomlin said that training camp is when not having a clear answer at quarterback would hurt the team.
“Training camp would be of be a line of demarcation in terms of that discussion. The spring is about teaching and learning.”
At what point does it hinder the team not to have a clear answer at QB?
"Training camp would kind of be a line of demarcation in terms of that discussion. The spring is about teaching and learning."
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) March 30, 2025
Come training camp, the Steelers are preparing for in-stadium competition in the preseason and ramping up their work ahead of the regular season. Unlike minicamp and OTAs, the team is often in pads and it’s less about installation and getting back in football shape and attitude and more about execution. Not having an answer at who’s going to be under center in late July would be an issue, so while there might not be a deadline for Rodgers, the Steelers are going to need to know who their quarterback is.
If they enter training camp with Aaron Rodgers unsigned, it’s going to be a lot harder for him to get up to speed and work with Arthur Smith and the rest of the offense to be as productive as Pittsburgh would need him to be. There’s no question about Rodgers’ ability to play the quarterback position. Even though he’s coming off a rough season with the Jets finishing 5-12, he’s a strong processor and good decision-maker who can lead a team.
Getting familiar with his personnel and his coaches and showing he can execute what they need him to do is another thing, and that’s why getting him in the building before training camp may be Pittsburgh’s goal.
If Aaron Rodgers isn’t the answer for the Steelers, Mike Tomlin expressed confidence in Mason Rudolph as a starting option, and the team likely isn’t done adding to their quarterback room, with the prospect of the team taking a quarterback in the draft likely. But having their ducks in a row when camp opens is the goal, and I’m sure the Steelers would like to have things resolved sooner.
It’s pretty unlikely that Rodgers will take until July to make up his mind on what he wants to do next season, but no one seems to have any idea when he intends to decide. The Steelers have been and will continue to be content waiting him out, but the closer they get to the start of the season with training camp, they might start to push for an answer.
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