New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers is expected to be released and become a free agent this offseason, and despite the fact that the Pittsburgh Steelers may be looking for their quarterback of the future, all signs are pointing that the team won’t have any interest in the four-time NFL MVP. Former Steelers WR Plaxico Burress wouldn’t be a fan of Rodgers in Pittsburgh, as on FS1’s Breakfast Ball, he said Rodgers doesn’t fit the Steelers’ culture.
“I don’t see him being able to coexist with Mike Tomlin with Mike Tomlin, because the model in Pittsburgh is obviously the standard is the standard. But nobody is above the football team, and everywhere that Aaron Rodgers has been, he’s been above the football team,” Burress said.
There doesn’t appear to be much support for signing Rodgers in Pittsburgh’s locker room either, as S DeShon Elliott commented “leave his ass at the retirement home” on an Instagram post linking Rodgers to the Steelers.
The fit just doesn’t make a lot of sense, as Rodgers is coming off the worst season of his career and will turn 42 next December. The Steelers also have two internal options they could choose to re-sign in Justin Fields or Russell Wilson, and at this point in his career, Rodgers doesn’t seem to be all that much of an upgrade.
Gerry Dulac also reported earlier this offseason that the Steelers wouldn’t have any interest in Rodgers if he became available, and Mike Tomlin preached the need for quarterback mobility in his end-of-season press conference. Rodgers’ mobility is significantly diminished, especially following an Achilles injury that ended his 2023 season after four plays. Signing Rodgers wouldn’t align with Tomlin’s comments, and the media circus that might follow him likely isn’t something that the Steelers would want around.
Rodgers has made headlines off the field more than on it over the past three seasons, and his weekly appearances on The Pat McAfee Show could be a distraction, and he just doesn’t feel like a fit in Pittsburgh. While Burress’ statement that Rodgers has always put himself above the team might be a bit of a stretch, he’s gravitated more toward making himself into a brand over the past few seasons, which isn’t an issue if the on-field results follow. But they didn’t in 2024 for the Jets, who wound up as one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments, hence why Rodgers will be available.
I wouldn’t count on Rodgers winding up in Pittsburgh, as there’s too many signs that the team simply won’t have interest. It’s not a signing that would really raise the Steelers’ ceiling, either, and they’re better off sticking with Fields or Wilson or finding a non-Rodgers option to lead the quarterback room next year.
