The Pittsburgh Steelers are still waiting on a decision from veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers regarding his future. He has not actually signed a contract with Pittsburgh yet as Organized Team Activities (OTAs) are in full swing. Some people believe that the former MVP has told the team exactly what day he will come in to sign a contract, but it's hard to tell for sure.
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Former New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers nods to acknowledge someone speaking in his direction.
NFL insider Tom Pelissero has heard differently, however. While making an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, he recently spoke about what he was told by his sources about the Rodgers saga.
"I have been told that [Aaron Rodgers] has not affirmatively told the Steelers that he is coming," Pelissero reported. "There's all these signs that he has not affirmatively said, 'Hey, June 9th, book me the ticket, I'm coming in, and I'm going to join this team.' That has not happened as of this point."
Rodgers has teased the Steelers repeatedly about eventually signing, but the only thing that has been confirmed is his indecisiveness on the situation. At the end of the day, he is still an unrestricted free agent and can sign wherever he wants, whenever he wants. If he wants to wait for a team to possibly suffer an injury at the quarterback position elsewhere to come and sign him, he still has the right to do so -- even if the saga is infuriating for Steeler Nation and the team itself.
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Former New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers smiles during a home game.
There are still questions on why some people inside the facility are still fixated on trying to bring Rodgers in for the 2025 season. If he wanted to be, one would think he would desire to begin training with his new team as soon as possible. Why would he not want to develop chemistry with his teammates and new receivers? The Steelers might be better off moving on.
Rodgers has previously stated that he doesn't want all this attention, and he doesn't want to be a distraction. However, his refusal to make a choice, despite Pittsburgh being the only logical destination, is a distraction, especially if many players are as annoyed with the situation as guys like Pelissero claim they are.
Steelers Are Going Against Their Usual Grain
As insiders like Pelissero have also said, this is a situation that could not define the Steelers less. This is a team that will trade anyone away if they are not 100% committed to working in Pittsburgh. This same team would have traded away Ben Roethlisberger early in his career had it not been for Mike Singletary, then the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, calling off the deal at the last second.
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Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger waves to fans as he walks off the Kansas City Chiefs' home turf.
Despite all of that, they are willing to sit and wait for Rodgers to tell them what's going on, as opposed to acting. That's why there are only three quarterbacks on the roster for OTAs currently. The Steelers are putting all of their stock into a man that refuses to make any sort of commitment, even though they won't hesitate to get rid of anyone that doesn't have a burning passion to lead Pittsburgh to victory.
At a certain point in time, you have to move on, even if Head Coach Mike Tomlin might not want to. At the very least, Mason Rudolph is a scheme fit that knows the team, and has lead Pittsburgh to victory before. Behind him is a rookie that is eager to learn how to play at the NFL level in sixth-round pick Will Howard. The Steelers have other options and many within the fan base are calling for the Steelers to turn the cheek on Rodgers. With mandatory minicamp approaching on June 10th, time will tell if Rodgers ends up making a decision or not.
What do you think about Rodgers not telling the Steelers when he is coming? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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