The Direct Hint Pittsburgh Missed That Has Led To Lengthy Steelers-Aaron Rodgers Saga

Despite the questionable price tag, it's fair to say that the Pittsburgh Steelers would be having a much less stressful 2025 offseason if the decision was made to give Justin Fields a two-year, $40 million deal. The former first-round pick decided to take that kind of money with the New York Jets, while it appears bringing back Russell Wilson was never really an option due to a shaky relationship with Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith. The front office and coaching staff are now stuck waiting as Aaron Rodgers takes his sweet time deciding on whether he wants to play in the Steel City or not.

Rodgers' time with the Jets was disastrous, mainly because he tore his Achilles on the first possession of the organization's 2023 campaign. The veteran wasn't fully himself until late in the season in 2024, which led to a quick breakup once the 2025 offseason rolled around. The Steelers have botched the quarterback position in recent years, and that may happen again, especially if Rodgers retires or simply waits as long as possible for another offer.

Back in December, Rodgers mentioned to the media that he would absolutely mentor a rookie quarterback if New York were to draft one. Rodgers, an intelligent veteran, could have already been calling out to other teams around the league with the words he spoke to New York media.

"So if [the Jets] asked me back and they drafted a guy, I'd mentor the hell out of him if I was playing and I'd try to play as well as I could to keep him on the bench," Rodgers said.

In the same appearance, however, Rodgers brought up the idea of him being released early in the offseason. He is a calculated individual, and this all could have been said purposely to let specific teams know that he was interested in them. This specifically could have related to the Minnesota Vikings.

"I'm going to take some time after the year -- unless I get released right away -- but I'll still take some time whether or not I want to play," Rodgers said via ESPN. "But I'll take some time to get away from it, either way."

A lot of that ended up coming true. He was released and he has certainly been taking his time. The interesting part in regards to the Steelers, however, is that with Fields or Wilson expected to return (at that time), Rodgers wasn't sending any kind of innuendo in Pittsburgh's direction.

Nothing should surprise anyone when it comes to Rodgers anymore. Those comments back in December, when reading them back through, should tell the avid football fan that he was trying to set up his next opportunity. The Vikings could have been on his mind, as well as other teams, but it wasn't expected for the Steelers to be in the current position that they are in.

Once the offseason ramped up and teams decided to stay away from Rodgers, his options became limited. The Vikings technically haven't officially been ruled out, but regardless of the respect Rodgers has for Head Coach Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh probably wasn't on the list Rodgers could have made up in his mind. If the Black and Gold was, it's overwhelmingly possible that he would have already signed a contract.

Steelers' Frugal Quarterback Approach Caused An Unnecessary Mess

Fields may not have been worth $40 million over two seasons, but he flashed potential with the organization in 2024. Despite this, the franchise let him walk. That has caused a domino effect that is still going on with the 2025 NFL Draft just about a week away. A rookie quarterback could come into the mix, which Rodgers said he would be willing to mentor, but it's clear that he wasn't even remotely thinking of the Steelers when he spoke about it back in December, causing hesitation now.

Do you think Rodgers is upset that the Steelers are the only team with significant interest in him? Let us know in the comments below!

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