For the past few weeks, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been waiting on a decision from Aaron Rodgers. While they still don’t have one, Rodgers did attempt to clear up the situation. He explained that he’s dealing with a serious personal issue that’s holding his attention. That explains why he hasn’t given the Steelers an answer, even though they look like the only team interested in him. However, Mike Florio believes Rodgers’ interview on The Pat McAfee Show should compel the Steelers to drop their pursuit of the four-time NFL MVP.
“After yesterday and having a chance to sleep on it and think about it, I think the Steelers should go in a different direction,” Florio said Friday on his Pro Football Talk podcast. “I think they should run. I think that they are signing up for a shitshow if they bring the Aaron Rodgers experience to town.
“As evidenced by the fact that he’s still gonna do McAfee. He’s still gonna go on there and spew whatever he wants to spew.”
It’s fair to suggest that the Steelers should move on from Rodgers. There are numerous reasons why signing him might not be the best idea. He’s 41 years old, and his best football is behind him. The Steelers probably still won’t be Super Bowl contenders even with Rodgers. Adding him might feel like putting another Band-Aid on their quarterback issue.
However, it will be curious if that interview did anything to change the Steelers’ minds. Rodgers met with them in Pittsburgh a few weeks ago. He said that he made it clear to them that he wasn’t sure when, or if, he’d join their team. Rodgers also made it clear that he wouldn’t be upset with the Steelers if they moved on from him.
Therefore, it doesn’t seem like Rodgers is forcing the Steelers to wait for him. They’re choosing to do that. It’s no secret that Rodgers is a controversial figure. He’s been making regular appearances on The Pat McAfee Show for years. The Steelers know who he is, and they’re still choosing to wait for him.
However, Florio used Ben Roethlisberger as an example for why Rodgers’ media appearances could be an issue for the Steelers.
“I remember when Ben Roethlisberger was on the Steelers, and he would do a weekly thing on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh,” he said. “Every week, he would say something interesting. Sometimes, that interesting thing he said would be problematic, calling out players for dropping passes or not running the right route. This isn’t good for what the Steelers are trying to do.”
It’s true that Roethlisberger would often speak his mind during that radio appearance. A notable example of his comments causing controversy is when he criticized Antonio Brown’s route running after the team’s loss to the Denver Broncos in 2018.
That comment seemed to damage Roethlisberger and Brown’s relationship. While many of Rodgers’ former teammates have nothing but good things to say about him, he isn’t afraid to speak freely. Last year, he said some things about Mike Williams’ route running that created a stir.
Maybe the Steelers feel like their environment is stable enough to not frustrate Rodgers. Maybe they’re willing to take a risk on him because he’s the best quarterback left on the free agent market. Whatever the reason, they still seem to be waiting for him. The Steelers could decide to move on. That might be the right decision, but it doesn’t feel like they’re going to do that yet. They continue to play the waiting game.
