Steelers' Arthur Smith "Excited To Work With Aaron Rodgers" After Meeting Went Well In Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in quarterback purgatory ever since the retirement of future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger at the end of the 2021 season. During the 2024 offseason, the waiting and guessing ended quickly when the Steelers announced that they signed Russell Wilson and then made a trade for Justin Fields. The 2025 quarterback situation doesn’t feel like it will get resolved anytime soon. 

The Steelers are reportedly in talks with Aaron Rodgers, and most local insiders agree that Rodgers is in the driver's seat. Rodgers recently visited the Steelers at their facility and met with Head Coach Mike Tomlin, General Manager Omar Khan, and Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith. He reportedly spent more than six hours speaking with the staff and getting to know each other. 

Gerry Dulac, a longtime Steelers insider from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, was recently asked about Rodgers' visit. He told Randy Baumann and the DVE Morning Show on 102.5 WDVE that while it is nearly impossible to completely hide a meeting like that, they did try to keep it hush-hush. He said Rodgers showed up in a hoodie, pulled up over his head, and entered through the back door. Dulac said his question was if Smith struggled to get along with Wilson, why would he want a quarterback with even more outstanding credentials running the offense? Especially one who reportedly demanded to run everything with his last team, the New York Jets.  While those questions remain, Dulac insists the meeting between the two went well.  

"The sense I've gotten is that Arthur Smith is excited to work with Aaron Rodgers," explained Dulac. "He met with him the other day as well. I was told that visit went very well. They will certainly not bring in Aaron Rodgers and put the reins on him like Matt Canada wanted to do with Ben Roethlisberger. Arthur Smith has control of the offense."

When the 2024 season initially wrapped up, the Steelers brass insisted their priority was re-signing with Wilson or Fields. However, they could not work out a deal with Fields, and now it seems clear that Wilson was only a last-resort option. Despite meeting with a few other teams, he is still available, but the Steelers have not moved to get him, nor have they given Rodgers a deadline. 

They brought back a familiar face in Mason Rudolph, who famously performed a Christmas miracle in 2023. He helped the team win out the final games of the season and secured a Wild Card spot. Rudolph won many fans over with those contests and has always had the respect of his teammates.

Steelers Should Feel Good About The Aaron Rodgers Visit

Show host Randy Baumann asked Dulac how the Steelers could possibly feel good about the visit they had with Rodgers when there was no resolution. Dulac said that the point of this meeting was never to negotiate a contract. The Steelers have already given Rodgers an offer, and that remains unchanged. 

Rodgers was also given an offer from the New York Giants, and of course, there is a chance he might consider retirement. Some NFL insiders say that it's a "safe bet" Rodgers signs with the Steelers, and Dulac agrees to the extent that Pittsburgh feels more likely. In his opinion, the Jets and Giants are so close; they share the same stadium, and their fans are co-mingled in that region. He feels as if they won't welcome Rodgers with open arms. Dulac said that if Rodgers wants to keep playing, Pittsburgh is the only place that makes sense. 

How do you think Smith and Rodgers will get along? Tell us what you think below!

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