It’s now been over a week, and free agent QB Aaron Rodgers, the Pittsburgh Steelers top target, has yet to make up his mind on where he wants to play next season. It could be a while longer before he makes up his mind, too, with NFL insider Ian Rapoport speculating on The Insiders that Rodgers could wait until the 2025 NFL Draft, which begins April 24, to make his decision.
“I don’t get the sense Rodgers is in any hurry at all. Could it go all the way until the draft like it did two years ago? Maybe it could,” Rapoport said on Monday.
Two years ago, it was clear that the Green Bay Packers were trading Rodgers, and while it became clear that the New York Jets were his likely landing spot, it took until the week of the draft for the trade to be finalized. Teams are setting their draft board now, and with the Steelers and New York Giants still awaiting clarity from Aaron Rodgers, they could look to prioritize taking a quarterback higher in the draft than they would with Rodgers aboard.
Given that the Steelers draft at No. 21 overall, it becomes a little bit less of a concern as there likely won’t be a top name available. Even if they sign Rodgers, drafting a rookie in the third or fourth round isn’t out of the question. But if Rodgers makes his mind up before the draft and signs with New York instead of Pittsburgh, drafting a rookie will become much more of a priority.
Rodgers’ decision could also affect other free-agent quarterbacks. If Aaron Rodgers signs elsewhere, the Steelers could turn to Russell Wilson, their starter for most of the 2024 season, as a fallback plan. However, Wilson may not want to wait to find a new home until the end of April. The same could go for Joe Flacco or Jameis Winston, two quarterbacks who have visited or are going to visit with the Giants.
Pittsburgh seems content to wait out Rodgers’ decision, and the team did bring in Mason Rudolph, who it sounds like they would be comfortable starting if they had to. But a resolution to the Rodgers saga would help them plan out the rest of their roster-building for 2025, and the hold-up in his decision could have ripple effects elsewhere when it comes to the free agent market and how the Steelers and Giants plan out the rest of their offseason.
