By all accounts, the Pittsburgh Steelers are still trying to get QB Aaron Rodgers to sign with them. That doesn’t mean they aren’t doing their due diligence on other options. They’ve brought in multiple college quarterbacks for pre-draft visits. That’s not to say that the Steelers are choosing between Rodgers and drafting a quarterback. After all, Rodgers is not going to be the long-term answer at his age.
But evidently, something is holding up the process between the Steelers and Rodgers. And Colin Cowherd believes that Rodgers shouldn’t want to go to Pittsburgh, something he certainly hasn’t been shy about voicing before. Instead, he thinks Rodgers wants to go to the West Coast, looking for gold there.
“I told you, Aaron Rodgers doesn’t buy Pittsburgh, it’s fool’s gold,” Cowherd said Monday on The Herd With Colin Cowherd. “Defensive coach, two needy receivers, bad o-line, lost Najee Harris. And here we are. Aaron Rodgers is just waiting it out. I think it’s the right move. I believe he wants to go to San Francisco if the [Brock] Purdy contract doesn’t work, or Minnesota. I think he’s right to want that. I don’t think he should sign with Pittsburgh.”
As annoying as Cowherd’s near-constant shots at the Steelers are, there are elements of his take that are true. There are certainly questions about the Steelers’ offensive line, particularly at the tackle position. Will Troy Fautanu be the answer at right tackle after missing nearly all of his rookie season? Will Broderick Jones fare better after switching back to his natural left tackle spot?
And head coach Mike Tomlin is definitely a defensive-focused head coach. He wants his offense to limit mistakes while keeping the pressure off the defense. That’s not Aaron Rodgers’ modus operandi. He wants to throw the ball and dictate football games.
As for interest in other spots, we’ve heard plenty about Rodgers being quite interested in the Minnesota Vikings. Rodgers wants to play in the postseason, and the Vikings went 13-4 last season with Sam Darnold at quarterback. No wonder he’d be interested in following the Brett Favre career arc.
The 49ers could be very interesting. QB Brock Purdy went from Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL Draft to a potential franchise quarterback in San Francisco. However, that means the 49ers have to figure out his contract situation quite soon. Could they turn to Rodgers if they are unable to work out something with Purdy? No doubt Rodgers would like to work with head coach Kyle Shanahan, TE George Kittle, and wide receivers like Jauan Jennings, Brandon Aiyuk, and even Ricky Pearsall. Plus, you cannot forget about RB Christian McCaffrey.
Does any of this mean Aaron Rodgers will not sign with the Steelers? Not necessarily. But the longer this whole process drags out, the more frustrated fans are growing. And according to insider James Palmer, there are some in Pittsburgh who are getting frustrated as well.
No doubt that Colin Cowherd will be quite happy if and when Aaron Rodgers signs elsewhere for 2025. You’ll certainly be able to hear all about it on The Herd, anyway.
