The Pittsburgh Steelers seem confident they’ll land quarterback Aaron Rodgers even though he’s making them play the waiting game.
The New York Jets released Rodgers on March 12. Since then, the New York Giants have signed QBs Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, and the Minnesota Vikings have committed to QB J.J. McCarthy.
Rodgers’ options are clearly dwindling, possibly explaining why Pittsburgh believes it has a strong chance of signing him.
“[The Steelers] have not gotten definitive word, but they’re willing to wait a little while longer,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said Sunday on “SportsCenter” (h/t Bleacher Report’s Scott Polacek). “That has really been the case for a few weeks now, but talking to people that have been involved in the quarterback market in the last couple of months, they believe the Steelers must’ve gotten some sort of assurance at some point from Rodgers that he’s going to sign eventually. So, we should see movement between now and the draft, potentially.”
Steelers owner Art Rooney II echoed this sentiment in a news conference on April 1. He told the media they have received “positive signals” from Rodgers.
In March, Rodgers threw with new Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf, via Brandon Loree of SB Nation. Perhaps that’s another sign he’s seriously considering signing with Pittsburgh.
Rodgers potentially joining the Steelers still shouldn’t preclude them from drafting a QB, perhaps Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart (6-foot-2, 223 pounds) or Alabama’s Jalen Milroe (6-foot-2, 217 pounds).
Rodgers — who tore his left Achilles tendon in 2023 — ranked 25th in the league in QBR (48 in 17 games) last season. The 41-year-old also completed a below-average 63% of his passes for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdown passes and tossed 11 interceptions.
However, Steelers QB Mason Rudolph — who played for the Tennessee Titans last season after four seasons with Pittsburgh — seems like a stopgap. The six-year veteran has a 9-8-1 starting record in the regular season.
With that in mind, Pittsburgh placing its bets on Rodgers makes some sense, even if he’s making the Steelers wait.
