The timeline for Aaron Rodgers to sign with a team could be longer than anyone thinks. Already one full week into the 2025 new league year, Rodgers reportedly is in no hurry to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers or New York Giants. In fact, reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala believes Rodgers will wait until Door No. 3 opens. A Super Bowl-contending team that loses its quarterback during the season.
“I’ve had a lot of conversations today with people who know how a lot of these things work,” Kinkhabwala told 93.7 The Fan’s Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller. “I’m starting to get a really strong feeling that Aaron Rodgers feels absolutely no rush and that he thinks his best play may be to wait for a playoff-ready team that loses its quarterback.”
Rodgers’ wanting to take his time to decide is no surprise considering that’s the current state of play. Even with the Minnesota Vikings seemingly out and Rodgers well aware of his current suitors, he’s still mulling…something about his future. Perhaps if he wants to commit to playing again, putting his body through the rigors of a long NFL season.
The flaw with Kinkhabwala’s thinking is that it’s impossible to know when a win-now team will lose its quarterback for a long-enough time that would make it want to bring in Rodgers on the fly. Barring some freak accident, that won’t occur until August and the preseason at the earliest and even then, teams are protective of their quarterbacks and rarely subject them to risk. Waiting until say, September, for Rodgers to choose a team isn’t good for anyone, including Rodgers. It would mean less money, no chance to learn the playbook or build chemistry with his teammates. A recipe for disaster.
While Rodgers’ timeline is extended, it’s doubtful to go to those lengths. This seems to be a story of each reporter wanting to one-up the timeline. Initial reports last week said a decision could come Tuesday or Wednesday. When those deadlines passed, the reporting switched. One week. End of month. By the draft. Now, it’s late summer. It’s almost a game of what the most absurd timeline can still be credibly reported and hey, we’re still writing about it.
“I don’t believe that he is of the mindset right now that he wants to step in and do essentially the dirty work of teaching a team how to grind,” Kinkhabwala said.
Perhaps that’s true. But Pittsburgh wouldn’t require that. There’s enough veteran pieces and talent where Rodgers wouldn’t be asked to carry the offense. And yet, he – and we – wait. Most likely, Rodgers isn’t playing an advanced game of chess. He’s playing Aaron Rodgers-opoly. Do things when he wants to do them and how he wants to do them. Knowing Pittsburgh is backed into a corner with no full-time starter alternatives, he’ll decide whenever he feels it’s time.
