The Pittsburgh Steelers gained little clarity from quarterback Aaron Rodgers' appearance on The Pat McAfee Show Thursday. The Steelers have been kept in suspense regarding where Rodgers will sign for the upcoming season. If Pittsburgh was willing to wait for an answer before, then the Steelers' brass is likely at their breaking point. With Rodgers taking his time, it's begun to look more likely that the Steelers will draft a quarterback in the first round and forgo Rodgers completely. Rich Eisen addressed the Rodgers situation on his show following the quarterback's talk with Pat McAfee. Eisen laid out a major reason that the Steelers were Rodgers' best option, and that if the quarterback still wants to play football, he would be making a mistake by missing out on Pittsburgh.
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Former New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers puts both his arms in the air to celebrate a big time touchdown at home during the 2024 NFL season.
Eisen points to the Steelers' record as a consistent playoff team and one that hasn't had a losing season in years. Pittsburgh could be one great quarterback away from being a Super Bowl contender. Eisen says that no other team in the NFL is realistically offering Rodgers the same benefits that the Steelers are, and unless the quarterback wants to retire, Pittsburgh would likely be his landing spot.
"He (Rodgers) sounds like a guy who is ready to lose the opportunity to play for a playoff franchise with Super Bowl aspirations, and fellow future Hall of Famers on the other side of the ball, to go and win a championship in a town that adores their team," said Eisen. He's willing to risk not having that opportunity available anymore."
Rodgers has said that he doesn't want to keep teams held hostage waiting for him to make a decision. The quarterback has also said that he isn't interested in money and that he would play for as little as $10 million. If it isn't money Rodgers is after, it's been speculated that he would prioritize a team that would give him the highest chance of a deep playoff run. As of right now, that team is the Steelers.
It may simply be that no one but himself can understand Rodgers' reason right now. During his appearance on McAfee's show, Rodgers cited personal reasons as the main factor as to why he hasn't come to a decision yet.
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Former New York Jets quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.
With a Rodgers signing feeling farther away than ever, the Steelers have set their sights on the draft to fill the quarterback-sized hole in their roster. Many believe that whether Rodgers signs in the Steel City or not, won't affect the Steelers' strategy of drafting a quarterback in the early to mid rounds. With the reports that quarterback Shedeur Sanders could fall in the draft, it was speculated that the Steelers could land him with the 21st overall pick. However, Sanders' pre-draft meeting with the Steelers reportedly didn't go well. Some now believe Sanders' chances of becoming a Steeler now seem unlikely because of that, where others (including Sanders himself) have expressed that the meeting was actually a "10" and Pittsburgh would be a perfect landing spot.
Steelers Will Have Other Options Entering 2025 Regular Season
Other prospects in the draft include Jaxon Dart and Jalen Milroe. It's unclear if Dart or Milroe are drafted, where they would fall on the depth chart. The Steelers also have veteran Mason Rudolph, who could be considered an emergency starter if they miss out on top draft targets. Rudolph is clearly not the organization's first choice, considering the Steelers let him leave as a free agent after the 2023 season. However, in a pinch, Rudolph could be a reliable signal-caller for Pittsburgh in spot duty.
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Former Steelers quarterbacks Mason Rudolph, Kenny Pickett, and Mitch Trubisky stand on the field at St. Vincent College during 2022 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Eisen said later on in his show that if Rodgers is willing to let a deal with the Steelers slip through his fingers, then the quarterback may be leaning more towards retirement. It's unfortunate that all of the Steelers' waiting could be for nothing. However, it may be best for the Steelers to finally give up on signing Rodgers if the team wants to be able to move on in their quarterback search.
Do you think Rodgers can afford to pass up on the Steelers? Do you think that Pittsburgh could land a starter-caliber quarterback in the draft? Let us know in the comments.
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