To some, the Pittsburgh Steelers might look like a mess right now. They’ve been stuck waiting for an answer from Aaron Rodgers, and there’s no telling what he’ll decide to do. It seems like he’s going to sign with the Steelers, but no one knows for sure what will happen. Many analysts have criticized the Steelers for their uncertainty at quarterback and letting Rodgers keep them waiting. However, former NFL offensive lineman Mark Schlereth believes the Steelers are in a good position in their pursuit of Rodgers.
“To me, there’s no pressure on Pittsburgh,” Schlereth said Monday on FS1’s Breakfast Ball. “They’ve already made the decision. ‘Aaron, the job is yours when you decide you’re ready to play.’ Aaron’s like, ‘I’ll see what else is out there, but….'”
Schlereth is correct that it seems like the Steelers are all in on Rodgers. There aren’t really any other quality starting quarterbacks available. They could try to trade for Kirk Cousins, but that might be easier said than done. The situation with Rodgers might be dragging on, but if he wants to continue playing, he might not have any option but to sign in Pittsburgh.
The only other team that was reportedly very interested in Rodgers was the New York Giants. However, they signed Russell Wilson, taking them off the table for Rodgers. That leaves him with the Steelers, unless he wants to wait until later in the summer to see if a different spot opens up.
There’s a lot of risk involved in that, though. Rodgers has already met with the Steelers, and now, he’s reportedly had a throwing session with DK Metcalf. At this point, it seems like there are the most connections between Rodgers and the Steelers.
Despite all the uncertainty, Schlereth seems to have faith that the Steelers will figure this situation out.
“They want Aaron Rodgers. But they’re the Pittsburgh Steelers, they’ll figure it out. They win without quarterbacks anyhow.”
The Steelers do have a reputation as one of the best franchises in the NFL. They’ve navigated tricky situations before. Although they would likely love for Rodgers to make a decision sooner rather than later, it doesn’t feel like they’re panicking.
Schlereth is correct that the Steelers have won despite poor quarterback play, too. They seem comfortable rolling with Mason Rudolph as their starter. He helped them make the playoffs in 2023. The Steelers won games with him in 2019, too. They still have a talented roster.
The Steelers might be facing some pressure, due to their lack of options outside of Rodgers. However, Rodgers is just as limited. It seems like he wants to keep playing, and the Steelers are the only team really connected to him. The two sides might have to come together, if only because neither of them has any other great options.
