Aaron Rodgers promised all along that he wasn't holding the Pittsburgh Steelers hostage. But with Thursday's decision to sign with the team seemingly forced only be the looming deadline of next week's mandatory minicamp, it certainly feels like it.
Rodgers is finally agreeing to not only play football in 2025, but apparently to do it with the Steelers. He is reportedly signing a one-year contract that could be worth as much as $30 million.
So here's the $30 million question that will hang over Pittsburgh all season: Was he worth the wait? Is late better than never? Did Mike Tomlin and Art Rooney II make a mistake is selling their soul to a 41-year-old quarterback whose only Super Bowl win came 14 seasons ago?
Rodgers has kept the Steeler in limbo - if not hostage - since mid-March, for three long months. He became the logical, lone quarterback option when Russell Wilson signed with the New York Giants in free agency and Justin Fields left for the New York Jets.
Without him, the Steelers were left to begin OTAs with an underwhelming mix of rookie Will Howard and veteran journeymen Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. With him, they are ... Super Bowl contenders?
NFL oddsmakers reacted to the signing, modestly moving the Steelers from a 45-to-1 longshot win the championship down to 40-to-1.
While the fantasy football dream of Rodgers throwing passes to new receiver DK Metcalf might re-boot Pittsburgh's fan base, he arrives with a cautionary tale. Last year at this time the Jets were also in "Super Bowl-or-bust" mode thanks to Rodgers. Then we bolted to Egypt during minicamp and played mediocre at best during a 1-4 start that got both his head coach and general manager fired.
The Jets finished 5-12, let Rodgers walk with zero compensation and ... here we are.
The man claiming not to be holding the Steelers hostage got what he wanted, exactly when he wanted it.