Pittsburgh Steelers star outside linebacker Alex Highsmith believes the team’s pursuit of Aaron Rodgers has not distracted the group as OTAs approach.
"I just feel like in the locker room and stuff, we’re in there working, and I think that’s just really what it’s about at this point,” Highsmith said on “The Insiders." “I know that if he does sign, we’re definitely going to be really excited to have him. We know who he is. He’s a Hall-of-Fame quarterback. He’s one of the best to ever do it. I wouldn’t say it’s a distraction at all, but we all know what type of quarterback he is and what he brings to the table.
In early April, team president Art Rooney said the team would not wait forever on Rodgers, but they would not give him timeline for now. That has continued, as head coach Mike Tomlin said around the same time he never thought deadlines were productive.
On the Pat McAfee Show in April, Rodgers said he would not sign a deal with a team until he felt he could fully commit to them with his personal life in order.
In his latest interview on the Joe Rogan Experience, Rodgers may have just revealed and hinted at the issues he hopes to resolve in his personal life.
Rodgers said multiple people in his life are dealing with serious illnesses, including cancer.
“I’ve figured it out during the last year when I’ve been in the weeds with these people who are close to me that have cancer,” Rodgers said.
That is taking a personal toll on Rodgers, who discussed non-conventional treatment options on the podcast. Still, he offered no certain timetable for a decision and seemed focused on his personal life first before anything else.