Steelers Fans Get Reality Check As Aaron Rodgers Absolutely Gives Pittsburgh "Best Chance To Be Successful" In 2025

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a place few fans expected after the official start of free agency, with no starting quarterback. After owner Art Rooney II and General Manager Omar Khan insisted they wanted to go into 2025 with either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields, it felt like the decision was already made. However, things fell apart when they could not agree on a deal with Fields. 

It appeared Wilson must not have been high on their list, and they pivoted to discussions with Aaron Rodgers and even Sam Darnold. As the legal tampering period progressed, Rodgers seemed to emerge as the front-runner. He met with the Steelers and the New York Giants, and things moved more slowly than fans would like.  

Rodgers has become a polarizing figure in the NFL over the past few years and seems to have divided Pittsburgh right down the middle. There are a variety of reasons: his politics, his age, his recent Achilles injury, his appearances on The Pat McAfee Show, and so on. Those who favor Rodgers cite his Super Bowl win, his MVP Awards, his strong arm and quick release, and the fact that he had a solid few games to end the season with the New York Jets in 2024. 

Mark Kaboly, a longtime Steelers reporter who works for McAfee, recently talked with his show co-host Chris Mack on Kaboly and Mack about Rodgers. Mack said that he believes all the fans who are so outraged about the possible signing of Rodgers and claim they will never watch again are liars. Kaboly thinks none of that will matter if Rodgers can score points in black and gold. 

"Just listening to people go crazy here, I wonder if it has something to do with him waiting this out a little bit," surmised Kaboly of Rodgers needing time. "People don't like that. It's a big part of it. 'You can't hold the Steelers hostage.' He gives them the best chance to be successful here right now. I don't think that goes without saying. I think he's a step ahead of Russ, even though I am a Russell fan, and I think he could lead this team to a decent route. We saw that Russ can produce, and even though he didn't have a ton around him, it just wasn't enough. Why would we run it back and do it the same way unless we have to? So you give the guy a one-year deal, he decides to come here, he wins, nobody cares about politics. Nobody cares."

Rodgers is reportedly taking time to mull over his options as the Minnesota Vikings also entered the mix as a potential suitor. In the meantime, Wilson is meeting with the Giants and the Cleveland Browns, who just traded for former Steelers first-round pick, Kenny Pickett. 

While many are frustrated with Rodgers making teams wait, others blame Khan and Head Coach Mike Tomlin for not being aggressive enough to get a deal done. They feel the team could have beaten the New York Jets' offer to Fields and kept him in the Steel City. 

Steelers Fans Are Never Satisfied

Kaboly said he isn't surprised by any of those because Steelers fans are never happy with their quarterback. He said they complained throughout the post-Terry Bradshaw era until the team finally drafted Ben Roethlisberger, who won them a Super Bowl in his second season. 

In around 2017, he said they began to turn on Roethlisberger, saying he should retire. They were unhappy with everyone who's taken the field since, including Pickett, Fields, and Wilson, and now apply a kind of revisionist history to players to claim that isn't true. 

Do you think fans will forget their dislike of Rodgers if he wins games? Tell us what you think below!

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