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PALM BEACH, Fla. -- While his coach and general manager were reluctant to say too much about Aaron Rodgers, team President Art Rooney II had no problem saying he feels "pretty good" about the four-time league MVP signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"We keep hearing that he's headed in our direction," Rooney said Tuesday at the NFL owners meetings at The Breakers resort. "I'd say we feel pretty good about it at this time."
The Steelers have been courting Rodgers for nearly three weeks, and Rooney said he is not willing to wait "forever" for the former Green Bay Packers and New York Jets quarterback to make a decision. However, he said the team is willing to wait "a little longer" to see if Rodgers, 41, will accept their one-year offer.
"I didn't envision it taking this long," Rooney said.
Rooney said he thought it was a good sign Rodgers reportedly had a throwing session last week with new Steelers receiver DK Metcalf.
"All signs are positive so far," he said.
It was a departure from the limited comments made the previous two days by Coach Mike Tomlin and General Manager Omar Khan. They acknowledged meeting with Rodgers when he came to the Steelers facility on March 21 but offered nothing more about the progress of their discussion or the possibility of him joining the team.
Rooney was out of town when Rodgers visited the team's offices, but he had a chance to talk on the phone with the league's seventh all-time leading passer that day.
"We talked about Pittsburgh and all the Pittsburgh coaches he's had over the years," Rooney said. "And we've talked about Greenfield and how much he knows about Greenfield (from former Packers Coach Mike McCarthy, a Greenfield native). And so we had a good conversation."
While the Steelers are willing to wait for Rodgers, it is still unclear how long they will continue to do so. Even if Rodgers doesn't sign with the Steelers, Khan said it's "a safe assumption" the team will sign another veteran quarterback to back up Mason Rudolph.
"Hopefully we'll know something soon," Rooney said.
The Steelers hold the 21st overall pick in the draft. Mississippi quarterback Jaxson Dart is a possibility whether the 41-year-old Rodgers signs with the team or not.
Rodgers is a free agent for the first time in his 20-year career. He could be contemplating retirement, signing with the Steelers or waiting for the Minnesota Vikings to express interest. The Vikings seem to ready to go with J.J. McCarthy, who was the presumptive starter as a rookie last season before a torn meniscus during the preseason ended his campaign before it started.
FILE - New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
FILE - New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)