The Pittsburgh Steelers are less than a week away from being on the clock at the 2025 NFL Draft, and Mason Rudolph is still the top quarterback on the depth chart. As the days get closer to the draft, the anticipation of what the Steelers will do in round one continues to intensify. Aaron Rodgers has yet to decide whether he wants to continue playing football or retire. This past Thursday, Rodgers appeared on the Pat McAfee Show to discuss his future in the NFL. In typical Rodgers fashion, he did not go into detail about his upcoming decision to retire or continue his NFL career.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers' defensive line attacks New York Jets' quarterback Aaron Rodgers during a regular-season game in 2024.
During Rodgers' appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, he spoke about still contemplating the decision to retire or play. Rodgers spoke about how he is dealing with some pretty serious matters in his personal life, and at the moment, those things are the priority. Rodgers did not get into specifics about what he is dealing with off the field, but it appears to mean a lot to him because when Pat McAfee asked if he wanted to give insight to the fans, Rodgers declined.
Only the people in Rodgers' close circle know what he is dealing with outside of football, and possibly where he stands with his decision. ESPN NFL reporter Brooke Pryor appeared on the Bleav in Steelers podcast and gave her thoughts on Rodgers' appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.
"You can't essentially soft launch a retirement, saying there is a lot of things going on in your personal life, etcetera, etcetera, while still going to work out with DK Metcalf," Pryor said.
Rodgers' actions during this offseason have been conflicting and a bit confusing because, like Pryor stated, if you are contemplating retirement, why even met with DK Metcalf for a workout? Rodgers has been in the NFL long enough to know how the stories would unfold after his workout with Metcalf. So, what is the holdup in the Rodgers' decisions? Is it the situation he is dealing with off the field?
Nick Cammett / Getty Images
Former Jets Quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks on during an NFL game.
If the situation in Rodgers' personal life is serious enough for him to contemplate retirement, then Rodgers should just retire. Football is a brutal game, and if you are not 100 percent focused and all in, it can be disastrous. Mark Bergin, the host of the Bleav in Steelers, responded to Pryor about Rodgers contemplating retirement.
"Brooke you've been an NFL reporter for a long time, and in conversations I've had with players, the sentiment is the same time and time and time again," Bergin said. "If you're even contemplating retirement, if one foot is already out the door, this is not a job where you can be halfway in and halfway out, you've got to be 10 toes in."
Playing in the NFL is not a job where you can straggle along and just get by, so if the thought of retirement ever enters the mind of a player, there shouldn't be any contemplating. The seasons are grueling, and the game is dangerous, so if the issues in Rodgers' personal life are equally as demanding, he should walk away from the game.
The Steelers should also remove themselves from in contention of acquiring the four-time MVP quarterback. The Steelers should want a quarterback who is all in on playing for the city of Pittsburgh, and Rodgers has not proven that to be the case on his end.
Steelers Are Currently Holding Themselves Hostage
At the start of the offseason, the Steelers' priority was to figure out the quarterback situation as soon as possible. Now, the Steelers are less than a week away from the draft, and Rudolph is still top of the depth chart at quarterback and the Steelers dropped the ball by not re-signing either Justin Fields or Russell Wilson. At this point, it seems as if the Steelers did not have a real chance of bringing Fields back because of the money the organization was willing to spend.
AP Photo / Matt Freed
Steelers' Russell Wilson and Justin Fields warming up before a game.
However, Wilson was on the free agency market for a much longer time before signing with the New York Giants, but the Steelers never made an offer to wait on Rodgers. Whether Rodgers is a better fit than Wilson or not for the Steelers, Pittsburgh would have found itself in a similar situation next offseason with either quarterback. Pittsburgh could still potentially solve its quarterback issue through the draft, but it could have also been resolved much sooner.
#SteelerNation
