The Pittsburgh Steelers have been waiting on Aaron Rodgers for what feels like forever now. It’s only been a little over a week, but many are already fed up with the amount of time the veteran quarterback is taking to make a decision. Longtime Steeler Cam Heyward appears to be feeling that as well. On his “Not Just Football” podcast earlier this week, he claimed he wouldn’t be embarking on any special recruiting tactics for Rodgers and said, “You either want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler or you don’t.”
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith wasn’t a fan of Heyward’s comments.
“I did not like what he said,” Smith said Wednesday on First Take. “I thought his response was incomplete. Are you saying that because you’re a Pittsburgh Steeler? Or are you saying that ’cause Aaron Rodgers isn’t what he used to be?”
Although I could never speak for Heyward, it might be a little bit of both. Honestly, when was the last time the QB carousel stopped for a 41-year-old QB like this, aside from maybe Tom Brady? It really shows the state of the quarterback market right now. At this stage in his career, Heyward clearly doesn’t feel like it’s necessary to get into the weeds recruiting Rodgers.
That said, it’s not like Rodgers can’t play anymore. He can still throw the ball and had some good performances in 2024. There’s a reason teams are waiting on him, and not Russell Wilson.
Heyward started his Steelers career in 2011, and he still feels like they are an iconic franchise and that players should simply want to come to Pittsburgh.
Smith, however, feels like the Steelers have fallen from that pedestal.
“‘The standard’ has not won a playoff game,” Smith said. “Pittsburgh Steelers fans everywhere have not won a playoff game. When you are in that position, you don’t get to be on a podcast, simply saying ‘You either want to or you don’t’. Wait a minute now. I might need you to recruit a little bit better than that.”
It’s not a bad argument from Smith. The Steelers’ lack of recent playoff success has been well-documented. T.J. Watt, for all his greatness, has never won a playoff game. To that point, does the message “You either want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler or you don’t” still mean as much? We’ll see if it does to Aaron Rodgers, who may be nearing a decision soon.
