The Pittsburgh Steelers have interest in four-time NFL MVP QB Aaron Rodgers, but through two days of the legal tampering period, Rodgers has yet to make a decision on where he wants to play. With other quarterback options coming off the board, the Steelers’ options are limited, and NFL insider Peter Schrager said this morning that Rodgers’ decision could take weeks. Former NFL GM Doug Whaley weighed in on the situation when asked about Shrager’s take on 93.7 The Fan.
“If I’m Omar Khan, and I’m the Pittsburgh Steelers, one, you shouldn’t be surprised. And two, you have to sit down and think do we want to sign up for this? Because he’s setting the table and the precedent early. It’s all about Aaron Rodgers. And it has nothing to do with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s gonna hold the whole franchise hostage on waiting for him to make a decision. But that’s par for the course when you deal with a guy like Aaron Rodgers,” Whaley said on The Fan Morning Show.
Whaley said that if the Steelers sign Rodgers, then the franchise becomes all about him.
“It’s not gonna be the Pittsburgh Steelers anymore, it’s gonna be Aaron Rodgers’ Pittsburgh Steelers.”
It’s worth noting that NFL insider Ian Rapoport said a decision from Rodgers could come as soon as today and that Schrager’s point was more that no one has any idea on Rodgers’ timeline to make a decision. It’s not a definite that this process will drag on for weeks, but if it does, then Whaley is right that the Steelers need to consider what’s best for them.
Given the thinning quarterback market, the Steelers may not be able to afford to wait out Rodgers if they want to at least have a competent starting quarterback next season, so the team may how to pivot if things take too long. Whaley’s point about the Steelers then turning into “Aaron Rodgers’ Pittsburgh Steelers” is fair given that Rodgers is one of the most controversial players in the league given some of his outspoken opinions off the field and weekly appearances on The Pat McAfee Show.
But the Steelers as a brand are bigger than Rodgers, and while there would be a heck of a lot of media attention on the pairing and Mike Tomlin working with Rodgers, I don’t think Rodgers would necessarily take away from the Steelers more than he would give. The team might have to revamp its offense and throw the ball more, but with DK Metcalf acquired and a run game that simply hasn’t taken off over the past few years, that’s not really a bad thing.
The longer Aaron Rodgers drags out his decision, the more antsy the Steelers might get about being stuck with limited quarterback options. But at this point, he may be their best option to win now, and the Steelers might have to put up with him taking his time to make a decision for potentially a few more days.
