Art Rooney II says that the Pittsburgh Steelers will wait “a little while longer” for Aaron Rodgers, but what does that really mean? At this point, the Steelers have waited months for Rodgers. Important offseason activities like OTAs and mandatory minicamp are almost here, and Rodgers’ future is still unclear. He’s dealing with personal issues, so it’s not like he’s waiting for no reason. However, at what point, if any, should the Steelers move on? Former NFL cornerback Chris Harris Jr. believes minicamp should be Pittsburgh’s deadline.
“He’ll wait until minicamp, I think he has until June 10, to make that final decision,” Harris said Friday on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football. “If he’s not there by the time minicamp starts, then I would start to move on and turn that page on him. Because he won’t be ready to go for training camp. He has to join pretty soon.”
OTAs are the next big benchmark coming up for the Steelers, but as the days get closer, it feels more and more likely that Rodgers’ decision won’t come before then. That isn’t totally surprising since OTAs are voluntary. Therefore, even if Rodgers signs with Pittsburgh soon, he wouldn’t be obligated to attend OTAs.
Minicamp is a different story. That starts on June 10, just a few days after OTAs end, and it is mandatory. If Rodgers is seriously committed to playing football in 2025, then he should probably be with a team for minicamp.
Are those few days going to make or break his season? Probably not, but it could help him avoid a slow start this season. After minicamp, Rodgers won’t have a chance to practice with the entire team until training camp, which starts in late July. Set to join a new team with an offense that he isn’t as familiar with, Rodgers would benefit from being with the Steelers for minicamp.
Rodgers could also opt to retire, something he hasn’t ruled out. If he still hasn’t made a decision by minicamp, then maybe the Steelers should move on from him.
The only problem with that is Pittsburgh doesn’t have many other alternatives at quarterback. Without Rodgers, Mason Rudolph looks to be their starter. There isn’t another obvious upgrade over him left in free agency. The Steelers could try to pull off a trade, but there’s no guarantee that they’ll find a worthwhile partner.
As it stands, the Steelers don’t have many better options besides waiting on Rodgers. They have to hope that the four-time MVP chooses to play football again and sign with them. Rodgers is a unique individual who does things his own way. Maybe that means the Steelers will have to wait until training camp to see him don the Black and Gold. Hopefully, it doesn’t take that long, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
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