Outside of one small moment of frustration from Cam Heyward about the delay in Aaron Rodgers’ decision, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been overwhelmingly positive about the possibility of the future Hall of Fame quarterback joining their team. Even Heyward has since changed his tune on the seemingly never-ending delay and the uncertainty it’s left the team with for three months.
That may be how current Steelers are choosing to word things with a high chance of him being their future teammate, but how do former Steelers feel, unencumbered by any potential politics within the locker room?
“Honestly, I would feel some type of way because this is the first part of structuring a playoff-caliber team right now,” Bryant McFadden said via CBS Sports. “OTAs, now granted they’re not mandatory, but you are allowed to have as many players there as possible. Especially key components to your team. And we’re talking about the quarterback position.
“So even if I played on the defensive side of the football field, I would feel some type of way man. Because if Cam Heyward is there, if [Minkah] Fitzpatrick is there, if DK Metcalf is there, Pat Freiermuth is there, we would like our quarterback to be there.”
Heyward is a great example to use in this situation. He technically missed some of OTAs last year due to a contractual holdout. He ended up showing up because he felt a duty to his teammates as a captain of the team. Heyward is not somebody who needs to be at OTAs at all with nothing substantial to learn about the defense and 14 years with the organization. If he feels like he needs to be there for the team, Rodgers should too.
One prominent theory about Rodgers’ delay is the idea that he doesn’t want to create a distraction by missing OTAs. If he’s not on the roster, then it’s harder to make a news story out of him not showing up. While technically true, the Steelers are very clearly expecting him to be their quarterback based on their actions and words this offseason. The news stories and the distraction will still be there, albeit to a slightly lesser extent.
Guys like T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick have never experienced a playoff win in their careers. Fans might be okay with a down year if it means finding a franchise quarterback, but aging veterans aren’t likely to be okay with wasted time.
Rodgers needs as much time as possible to build chemistry with guys like Calvin Austin III, Freiermuth, Roman Wilson, Robert Woods, Jaylen Warren, and his offensive line. This is also an opportunity to get real working experience with OC Arthur Smith.
Even if personal issues were getting in the way of Rodgers fully committing earlier in the offseason, he has now been spotted at a rap concert, on the Joe Rogan Experience and at the Kentucky Derby all within the last month. It doesn’t seem like most of his time is being consumed by personal issues that require his attention.
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