If the Steelers had Aaron Rodgers firm anything up for them yesterday, it was one message: don’t count on me. During an interview on The Pat McAfee Show, was straightforward with the fact that football is not his immediate priority. Unencumbered by extraneous things like a job, he is focusing on his “inner circle”. And he was explicit in communicating that if any suitors feel the need to move on due to his uncertainty, by all means, do so.
Now, the Steelers appear to be the only team actively pursuing Aaron Rodgers, at least in the public sphere. The Vikings communicated that they intend to move forward with J.J. McCarthy, but they could always pivot. The Saints have quarterback uncertainty with Derek Carr’s injury, but nobody knows their plans.
“This entire time, I haven’t felt like I owed anybody some sort of decision at any point. This is my life”, Rodgers told McAfee. “Like I said, things are different now. My life is different; my personal life is different. I have stuff in the inner circle that I’m intimately close to that’s really important to me. And I’ve been up front with them about that and said, ‘Listen, if you need to move on, if you need to do something, by all means. By all means. Nothing but love and respect if that’s the decision that needs to be made’. But there’s been no deadline”.
Rodgers has never been a free agent before, and his current period is a blessing and a curse for the Steelers. For the first time in his career, they have a shot at acquiring him. But at the same time, he is taking this opportunity to re-prioritize, taking care of his personal life. Rodgers did suggest that there are some serious issues going on with people close to him, something we can all relate to.
The thing is, the Steelers don’t have anything they need to move on to concerning Aaron Rodgers, I don’t think. In signing Mason Rudolph, they have already firmed up their intended contingency plan. And if they draft a quarterback, it won’t be because Rodgers is or is not there. I don’t think the uncertainty makes the Steelers feel more pressure to draft a first-round quarterback, in other words.
And that really kind of explains where we are, and why we are where we are. While it might not look great from the outside, the Steelers are fine with where they are concerning Rodgers. They already have their Plan B, and if they get their Plan A, great. Either way, it doesn’t affect their plan for the future, whatever that might be.
This also illuminates previous comments made by the Steelers when asked about Aaron Rodgers. HC Mike Tomlin basically put the drop-dead date at training camp, and he seemingly meant that. Presumably, the Steelers have been aware of Rodgers’ focus on his personal life right now, and they are content to see what happens. If they go into the season with Mason Rudolph as their starter, they are okay with that. It’s why the Steelers are the only team, it seems, that hasn’t moved on from Rodgers.
