For the second straight offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers are waiting on Aaron Rodgers.
It’s not the first offseason where quarterback uncertainty has been the name of the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Aaron Rodgers. This latest one might finally have an end date. Steelers owner and team president Art Rooney II spoke during the league’s annual meetings, saying he expects an answer from Rodgers by the NFL draft. That certainly leaves all avenues on the table, including drafting a quarterback, for Pittsburgh to move forward with or without the four-time MVP. Now, Rooney admitted that he hasn’t been in contact with Rodgers, though he confirmed that new coach Mike McCarthy is.
Rodgers spent last offseason weighing his options before starting for the Steelers and has been doing the same for two months now. He told Pat McAfee on March 4 that he has no deadline or contract offer and is enjoying his time without pressure to make a decision. That’s easy for him to say. For Pittsburgh, it puts them in a bit of purgatory ahead of the draft, where this could be a game-changing call for the franchise. It leaves new coach McCarthy in an air of uncertainty, though he spoke with Rodgers as recently as Monday night. Perhaps he knows a bit more or something we don’t, but they’re in a state of limbo until he decides one way or another, with no indication that they’ll decide for him.
Here is the full story from Steelers Roundtable writer Ashish Mathur on Rooney’s comments and where things stand with Rodgers.
If Rodgers doesn’t return, their options are veteran backup Mason Rudolph or 2025 sixth rounder Will Howard. That puts some high stakes on Rodgers’ decision ahead of the draft, which will shape their strategy entirely.