The Pittsburgh Steelers have made some solid moves this offseason. They include trading for WR DK Metcalf to beef and adding some talent at cornerback with Darius Slay. However, their never-ending pursuit of Aaron Rodgers has stolen all the headlines since the new league year began.
Ray Fittipaldo of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette thinks the Steelers need to bring Rodgers in at some point, or else they’ll face ridicule from their own city.
“Whether the Steelers are comfortable with it or not, the optics are not going to be good,” Fittipaldo said Wednesday of Pittsburgh potentially missing out on Aaron Rodgers, via the North Shore Drive podcast. “They’re going to be looked upon by a lot of people in this city, and a lot of people across the country, as a laughingstock for having butchered this. Whether it’s true or not, those are going to be the optics… I don’t think that’s what the Steelers want to happen.”
If Pittsburgh is able to land Rodgers, none of this will matter. However, the Steelers now find themselves in a tough spot. If Rodgers doesn’t end up coming to Pittsburgh, the Steelers will really be scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of what’s left at the position.
Although Rodgers is their top priority now, he wasn’t originally. Pittsburgh made an offer to both Justin Fields and Sam Darnold. Unfortunately, neither of those offers were sweet enough, evidenced by both QBs signing elsewhere. Now, they’re waiting for Rodgers.
Perhaps, things will all work out anyway. Rodgers had a long meeting with the Steelers in Pittsburgh last month. Just a couple of days ago, he worked out with Metcalf, who would be his WR1 in Pittsburgh. Even Art Rooney II is hearing positive things as Pittsburgh waits on Rodgers. But he also admitted he didn’t expect this to take so long.
Fans are already frustrated with the Steelers. Based on their playoff failures over the last decade, it’s hard to blame fans for feeling that way. After losing Fields, if Pittsburgh misses out on Aaron Rodgers, especially after putting its offseason on hold for him, it will be a bad look.
And only increase the pressure the organization is already feeling.
