Aaron Rodgers clearly does not rush before making any major decisions in his life. He’s taking his sweet time this offseason, and to be fair to him, he’s more than earned the right to do so. As of now, though, it’s starting to feel inevitable that Rodgers will end up a Steeler going into the 2025 season. For obvious reasons, the Steelers would like to sign Rodgers sooner rather than later.
There’s not any major offseason work until July, but the more time Rodgers could spend getting used to his new team, the better. That said, Steelers insider Gerry Dulac doesn’t think Pittsburgh is putting a priority on Rodgers attending OTAs if he signs with the team.
“I think the Steelers couldn’t care less about whether Aaron Rodgers comes to OTAs or not,” Dulac said Tuesday on 102.5 WDVE. “It would be nice if he showed up. But I don’t think they’re gonna lose any sleep if he doesn’t come.”
While speaking to reporters Monday, Mike Tomlin didn’t set a firm deadline for Rodgers to make a decision. He did mention training camp as a time when he’d like to have the veteran QB with the team, though. Tomlin said that spring is ‘About teaching and learning and getting familiar with players’, so it might not be as necessary for Rodgers as some other guys in the locker room. OTAs usually take place in May, with training camp commencing at the end of July.
Skipping OTAs wouldn’t be a surprising move from Rodgers. Last offseason, he sparked some controversy after missing workouts with the Jets, instead vacationing in Egypt. While the Jets only won five games last year, Rodgers did put together a solid season, considering his age and injury history.
With that said, it’s not like Rodgers isn’t working out. He and, potentially, his new star receiver, DK Metcalf, got a workout in earlier this week.
Of course, there is the possibility that Rodgers doesn’t sign altogether. It seems less likely now than it did a few weeks ago. But retirement, or waiting for a different team to show interest in him, are both still options for Rodgers. He may take his decision into the summer, which would come after OTAs and minicamp.
The Steelers seem willing to wait, until training camp at least. Art Rooney II might not be enjoying the wait too much. Yet, it doesn’t seem like the Steelers are losing sleep over it.
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