While Aaron Rodgers hasn’t made a decision yet, it feels like the Pittsburgh Steelers have a good chance to sign him. That might result in mixed reactions among the fan base. Rodgers is the top free agent quarterback left on the market. He likely gives the Steelers their best chance at being competitive in 2025. However, he’s also a controversial figure. Rodgers is not for everyone. Some Steelers fans might not want the team to land the former MVP. However, Mike Florio thinks those people are dead wrong.
“I would say to those who are reluctant to embrace Aaron Rodgers the same thing I’d say to those who want to fire Mike Tomlin,” Florio said Monday on his Pro Football Talk podcast. “Have you lost your minds? I think Steelers fans should be thrilled with the prospect of adding a guy who can come in and actually play quarterback the way that the coaching staff intends it to be played.
“And at a level that there aren’t a lot of guys out there, and definitely not a lot of guys you can just go pluck in free agency who will come in and play the way you need the position to be played to complement everything else the Steelers do well.”
It’s true that Rodgers is the likely the Steelers’ best option under center at the moment. They’ve put themselves in a rough situation. They couldn’t get a deal done with Justin Fields, who seemed like their No. 1 target. Russell Wilson is still available, but it doesn’t seem the Steelers want to bring him back.
That really leaves Rodgers as the only viable option left. The free agent quarterback market has dried up. The Steelers reportedly would be fine starting Mason Rudolph, but that doesn’t sound like a recipe for success. Rodgers isn’t as good as he once was, but he’s still a quality starter.
“This sense I’m getting from Steelers fans that they just don’t want this guy,” Florio said. “You say you want to win, but you must not want to win.”
The fans who don’t want Rodgers aren’t as crazy as Florio is making them out to be. Yes, Rodgers looked better down the stretch last year and he’d likely improve the Steelers’ offense. However, there’s no guarantee that will actually happen.
The New York Jets thought Rodgers was their missing piece. That was not the case at all. His one healthy season there was a disaster. Rodgers was almost constantly surrounded by drama. That’s been normal for him over the past few years. Steelers fans have likely had their fill of drama. They’ve dealt with their fair share of that, especially during this playoff drought.
The Steelers do have a better culture than the Jets, but they haven’t been immune to controversy. Last year showed that. There have been a lot of rumors about how the Steelers had locker-room issues last season. That could all just be fiction, but they did lose their last five games.
Pittsburgh clearly had problems. Adding Rodgers might be like throwing gasoline on a fire. Unfortunately, like Florio says, he’s the Steelers’ best option at this point. Signing him might be a gamble they have to take.
