This offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been a big topic of discussion, and not necessarily for the right reasons. Much of the discourse surrounding them has been about Aaron Rodgers. After they failed to re-sign Justin Fields, the Steelers turned their attention to Rodgers. However, he still hasn’t made a decision, even though it doesn’t look like any other team is interested in him. ESPN analyst Evan Cohen thinks the Steelers’ pursuit of Rodgers has made them a spectacle this offseason.
“The Steelers have been the biggest circus this offseason because of Aaron Rodgers, and Aaron Rodgers isn’t even there,” Cohen said Friday on ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike. “They have been the most-discussed offseason team. But now, we look at everything through a different light with them because they’re in the Rodgers conversation.”
The Steelers have been talked about a lot this offseason, but that doesn’t make them the biggest circus in the NFL. Their pursuit of Rodgers has been messy, there’s no doubt about that. The draft is almost here, and he still hasn’t made a decision. That isn’t ideal.
However, it doesn’t seem like the Steelers are panicking. They’re taking a long look at this quarterback draft class, but they would have done that regardless of their pursuit of Rodgers. He isn’t their long-term answer under center. They seem content waiting, evidenced by Mike Tomlin not publicly setting a deadline on Rodgers.
There are other teams that have been dealing with drama, including the Cleveland Browns dealt and a very public trade request from Myles Garrett. They’re also in a far worse quarterback situation than the Steelers, being stuck with Deshaun Watson’s contract. The Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, and Miami Dolphins have all spent some time in the spotlight as well.
Is the Rodgers saga making the Steelers a hot topic to talk about? Yes, but that’s just the nature of the NFL. Rodgers is a four-time league MVP and one of the most controversial figures in the NFL, and he’s coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. This is also the first time he’s been a free agent. Although he isn’t the same player he once was, he’s still good enough. His future should be closely monitored.
The Steelers are also one of the NFL’s greatest franchises. They haven’t had a losing season in over 20 years. However, their playoff-success drought has slightly muddied their reputation. There are a lot of interesting subjects to talk about with both the Steelers and Rodgers. That doesn’t necessarily make them a circus.
