As the Pittsburgh Steelers get set to kick off Organized Team Activities Tuesday morning at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side, one name that many are anticipating being on the roster seemingly won’t be anywhere near the practice fields.
That would be 41-year-old veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whom the Steelers have been pursuing all offseason, and continue to wait for an official decision from. Despite Rodgers dropping hints about his likely next destination in the NFL during a Q&A at a concert in Austin, Texas, there has been no real movement on the contract front with the four-time NFL MVP and the Steelers, who have stated that they’re willing to wait just a bit longer.
For ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who appeared on ESPN Radio’s UnSportsmanLike Tuesday morning, it’s amazing that the Steelers — a proud franchise — find themselves in this situation this late in the offseason, at the mercy of a player like Rodgers, who is at the end of his career and was jettisoned from the New York Jets in ugly fashion.
Though the Steelers are in a tough spot, Schefter believes we’ll have news one way or another regarding Rodgers within the next two weeks ahead of the Steelers’ mandatory minicamp June 10-12.
“…It [the Q&A session] told me that it certainly seems like he’s coming back to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who by the way continued to just wait and wait and wait. And it’s amazing that a proud organization would be at the mercy of a player like this and just waiting for an answer from him,” Schefter said when asked about Rodgers’ future, according to audio via ESPN Radio. “Now, the Steelers have a minicamp June 10th to the 12th, mandatory minicamp. …I would think in the next two weeks, it’s logical to deduce that we’d have to hear something from Aaron Rodgers about coming back. He made it clear he is not gonna go play in New Orleans. He didn’t make it clear he wasn’t gonna go play in Pittsburgh. In fact, he brought up the fact that Pittsburgh plays in Chicago this year, a place he loves to play.
“Pittsburgh also plays Green Bay and Detroit. So there’s some attractive matchups and Minnesota, the team that was not interested enough in Aaron Rodgers to bring him in over a guy like Sam Howell. So I think he winds up in Pittsburgh, but we still have not heard word one from him about when that might be, although I think the next two weeks are on the clock.”
Based on Rodgers’ comments during the Q&A session with concert-goers in Austin last week, it sure seems like he has eyes for Pittsburgh. It just seems like a matter of time before Rodgers and the Steelers are a pairing.
But the fact that it has taken this long, and continues to drag out, is rather frustrating. Of course, the Steelers and Rodgers still have plenty of time, but the fact that he seemingly wants to play for the Black and Gold under head coach Mike Tomlin, and wants to close his career in strong fashion after a rough two years with the Jets and still drags this out and is missing valuable team-building time is puzzling.
Missing OTAs as the likely starting quarterback should raise alarms for the Steelers. Yet, they seem shockingly fine with it. That should frustrate the players who actually show up and put in the work.
The Steelers might not have liked any QB options this offseason and might not have any remorse over the situation they find themselves in, but this whole offseason finding themselves waiting and hoping Rodgers chooses them hasn’t been all that good of a look.
It sure would be nice if in the next two weeks, Rodgers makes up his mind and either signs with the Steelers or announces he’s retiring so everyone can move on. If Rodgers chooses not to play, Schefter believes the Steelers would pivot quickly and inquire and try to trade for Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins.
“I think they feel like Mason Rudolph can and would be good enough to start for the season. That’s how they feel. But I do think that they would then inquire about Kirk Cousins and try to make a deal for Kirk Cousins to Pittsburgh, I think,” Schefter added regarding the Steelers’ QB situation. “I think that would make some sense. But they do like Mason Rudolph and they’re going to feel like they’re not going to have to have another quarterback. They’re gonna feel that way. …But I would think that they’ll explore a trade for Kirk Cousins if Aaron Rogers decides not to play, which by the way, I think everybody thinks he will decide to play, and in Pittsburgh.”
The belief remains that Rodgers is going to play in 2025, and do so for the Steelers. But if he doesn’t, Cousins remains a decent fallback option for the Steelers, one that remains on their radar, according to multiple reports.
Cousins would cost quite a bit to land via trade from the Falcons, but it would give the Steelers a starting-caliber quarterback on the roster late in the offseason, were Rodgers to spurn them.
The Steelers have stated time and time again they feel confident in Mason Rudolph, and they’re high on rookie QB Will Howard. But if the goal is to try and win a playoff game and compete for a Super Bowl in 2025, they have to do better at QB than that on the depth chart.
Cousins could be that answer. But all signs point to Rodgers signing and starting. Just when that occurs though is anyone’s guess as the Steelers continue to be at the mercy of Rodgers.
Recommended for you