The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2025 offseason has been all about Aaron Rodgers and if he will sign a contract or not. The saga is as frustrating and tumultuous as the Brandon Aiyuk saga from 2024, and that did not go Pittsburgh's way at all. Fans, analysts, and even players are annoyed, as they just want the distractions to go away so they can focus more on getting ready for the upcoming season.
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Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks on during a professional football game on the road.
While making an appearance on The Insiders, Steelers outside linebacker Alex Highsmith was asked about what goes on behind the scenes and how often conversations about Rodgers takes place. He spoke about the mentality of him and his teammates with the Rodgers situation.
"I just feel like in the locker room, we're in there working, and that's what it's about at this point," Highsmith explained. "I know that if he does sign, we'll definitely be excited to have him. We know who he is: he's a Hall of Fame quarterback, he's one of the best to ever do it, and like I said, I don't think it's a distraction at all, but we all know what type of quarterback he is and what he brings to the table. No matter who's back there playing quarterback for us, we're going to rally around him. It's going to be great."
The players have a lot more to focus on than who will be the starting quarterback, especially on defense. Players like Highsmith are just focused on getting better, regardless of who's on the team with them. If Rodgers signs, that's great. If not, there's nothing to worry about as they will still do what they can to make Mason Rudolph's job easier throughout the season by pummeling the opposing passer.
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Steelers' Mason Rudolph hypes up the crowd in a home game in Pittsburgh.
Phase three of the offseason, Organized Team Activities (OTAs), is just around the corner for the Steelers, so many of these players are focused on getting into football shape and getting a head start on learning the playbook for the year. Why talk nonstop about a player that is not on the team when they could figure out how to improve and make sure that disastrous end to the 2024 season never happens again?
If Rodgers doesn't sign, then the three current quarterbacks on the roster will get more reps. Rudolph will likely get to work with the first-team offense and prove that he is a much better option than a 41-year-old quarterback who is still recovering from an injury from 2023 and is past his prime. Meanwhile, rookie Will Howard would likely get second-team reps, as opposed to being stuck on scout team if the veteran does agree to terms officially.
Steelers Will Happily Wait Until Training Camp
While the Steelers have refused to give a hard deadline for Rodgers to make a decision, Head Coach Mike Tomlin did also say that he needs to know his quarterback situation by training camp. The veteran quarterback may just want to skip offseason workouts, which the Steelers clearly have no qualms with. As long as he shows up by Day 1 of camp in July, Tomlin and his staff won't complain about the situation.
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Aaron Rodgers stands with Mike Tomlin before a game while he was the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers.
That means that Rudolph, Howard, and Skylar Thompson will get their chances to prove that they belong on the roster, and maybe even deserve more reps than they would get if Rodgers showed up. If they struggle, it will only fuel Tomlin's desire to bring the former MVP in to lead the offense for all 17 games.
The fact that all three of those quarterbacks would learn the system before Rodgers would give them an advantage. Rudolph is in his second stint, so he is already more prepared to start at this current juncture. The faster Howard and Thompson learn the playbook, the less that the 41-year-old becomes a seemingly dire need.
What do you think about Highsmith's comments on the Rodgers saga? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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