Happy Friday, and I hope yinz are doing well.
The Pittsburgh Steelers remain playing the Aaron Rodgers waiting game. For the first time since the saga began, we heard from owner Art Rooney II, general manager Omar Khan, and head coach Mike Tomlin. All spoke during this week’s owners meetings in Palm Beach, Fla.
Tomlin made clear there was no deadline for Rodgers to sign. Rooney sounded more impatient. Rodgers continues to be the heavy favorite to land in Pittsburgh, especially after last weekend’s workout with WR DK Metcalf.
While Rodgers was the center of Steelers discussions, the NFL has business to take care of. The league passed a rule that places touchbacks on kickoffs at the 35-yard-line and virtually guaranteed both teams possession during regular-season overtime, mirroring playoff rules (the only exception being if a team uses exactly all 10 minutes of OT in the regular season, then the opponent doesn’t get the ball). Pittsburgh’s free agency proposal that allows video calls with pending free agents and travel plans to be scheduled during the legal tampering period also passed for a one-year trial run.
Whether or not to ban the Tush Push was the biggest story and most debated conversation. It was officially tabled until the next set of owners meetings in May. Rooney said he came out in favor of banning the play.
We’re officially in NFL Draft month and are nearing the end of our several hundred scouting reports. We’ll begin putting a bow on our 2025 draft trends and creating a list of most-likely candidates to be drafted by Pittsburgh.
As always, we’re here with you throughout the weekend with whatever news comes through the wire.
Top-Read Posts Of The Week
Former Teammate Weighs In On Aaron Rodgers’ Throwing Session
Steelers Growing Impatient Over Rodgers
Our Latest Mock Draft Monday
Rodgers Throwing Session With Metcalf
Steelers Trade Down In NFL.com Latest Mock
Peace and love, peace and love!
1 – Will Aaron Rodgers announce his decision at Pat McAfee’s Pittsburgh live show next Wednesday?
2 – When should the Steelers have a deadline for Rodgers to decide? Choose from: pre-draft, pre-OTAs, pre-training camp, or no deadline at all.
3 – How would you most prefer Pittsburgh to acquire a second-round pick in the draft: Trade out of the first round (assume the deal is something like, Pittsburgh acquires No. 35 and another second rounder), trade up into the second round, or trade a player?
4 – If not Rodgers, who would you prefer to be the Steelers’ starter: Mason Rudolph or Kirk Cousins?
5 – What is the bigger draft need for Pittsburgh: outside or slot corner?
Recap of 2025 Opening Day Weekend Friday Night Five Questions
Question 1: Steelers Depot Respondents were mostly split between drafting a running back in the third or fourth round. Several folks went with the fifth. That dragged the median response down to the fourth round. We’ll see.
Question 2: At wide receiver, respondents went a low as the seventh round. The median response was the fifth round. But it’s important to note that at least five folks said the Steelers won’t draft a wide receiver.
Question 3: Given the choice, only one person opted trading for Kirk Cousins. And several who preferred signing Aaron Rodgers indicated they weren’t happy with that option either. We’ll see if people start warming to the idea if and when he signs a contract.
Question 4: Several folks admired the work that punter Corliss Waitman put in this past season. But the consensus is that Cameron Johnston will win his job back after returning from injury. That was a 13 to 4 vote.
Question 5: The Bengals ranked first for their free agency performance, primarily because of re-signing their two wide receiver weapons. The Steelers ranked second based on positioning themselves for the 2026 draft while filling some roster gaps. The Ravens ranked third for strengthening their offensive line. The Browns came in at fourth. They’ve extended Myles Garrett and that’s about it.
Here are the consensus answers of Steelers Depot respondents compared to the correct answers:
| Questions | Round RB Picked | Round WR Picked | Sign Rodgers or Trade for Cousins | Pittsburgh Punter in 2025 | Rank AFCN Teams’ FA Performance |
| SD Consensus | Round 4 | Round 5 | Sign Rodgers | Cam Johnston | Bengals-1; Steelers-2; Ravens -3; Browns -4 |
| Correct Answers | TBD | TBD | Your Call | TBD | Your Call |
The draft is fast approaching. Hope you all continue responding to the Steelers Depot Friday Night Five Questions as we progress toward the 2025 season.
