The Pittsburgh Steelers have put themselves in quite the predicament as they wait for QB Aaron Rodgers’ decision to play for them or another team. It would be one thing if he was a slam-dunk candidate for success, but he’s coming off a five-win season in which he caused quite a bit of drama with the New York Jets.
NFL analyst Greg Cosell of NFL Films appeared on the Ross Tucker Podcast Thursday and relayed some of what coaches have been telling him about Rodgers.
“If you sign Aaron Rodgers, you’ve gotta sit down — and as I said, I’m paraphrasing what was said to me. You’ve gotta sit down with him. He’s gotta be in your offseason program. He’s gotta be in your building,” Cosell said in a clip on X. “He’s got to be part of the team from Day 1. He can’t just show up. So I think you have to have that conversation.”
Last year, he famously skipped mandatory minicamp with a pre-planned trip to Egypt. He’s been in the NFL plenty long enough to know the rough timeframes of the mandatory offseason activities. Can you imagine the drama if he pulls that same stunt again with the Steelers? If he chooses the Steelers, they need all the time to build chemistry they can possibly get.
Say what you want about Russell Wilson, but he was 100 percent committed to the team and placed a high value on the team-building process.
It’s tough for a 41-year-old future Hall of Fame quarterback to relate to teammates. And the Steelers’ offense is very young, which would make things even harder. But if Rodgers signs with the Steelers and this thing is going to work, he needs to make that effort.
“I would assume he wants to get back and try to win a championship,” Cosell said. “That’s why he’s still playing football. The guy’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But there’s no question from a tape perspective that he’s better than Russell Wilson.”
He may be technically better than Wilson, but he’s also older, brings more drama, and lacks mobility. If anyone can get through to Rodgers and command his respect, it’s Mike Tomlin.
