The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to wait for a decision from 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and speculation continues to grow that the four-time NFL MVP will announce that he’s signing with the Steelers on Wednesday night at Pat McAfee’s “Big Night Aht” in Pittsburgh at PPG Paints Arena in front of 18,000 Yinzers.
But if that speculation regarding why he’s taking so long to make a decision doesn’t come true on Wednesday night, then the Black and Gold need to shift their attention to the NFL Draft and gear up to make a splash at QB in the 2025 NFL Draft.
At least, that’s what former NFL defensive end and current ESPN analyst Chris Canty believes.
“If it’s not tomorrow, then when is it, right? You gotta know before the draft so you can have a plan on how you’re gonna get a quarterback that gives you more upside than Mason Rudolph,” Canty said Tuesday morning on Unsportsmanlike of the Rodgers situation with the Steelers, according to audio via ESPN Radio. “I get everything that Pittsburgh is saying about bringing [Mason Rudolph] back. But the reality is that Mason Rudolph, the most games he’s ever started in his season is eight. That’s it. He not a guy that you’re expecting is gonna start 17 games and your team end up in the playoffs.
“So it’s either get Aaron Rodgers or it’s gonna be one of these quarterbacks, whether it’s Shedeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart.”
All signs are seemingly pointing to Rodgers ultimately signing with the Steelers, but until the ink is dry on the contract, nothing can be assumed. It’s a surprise it’s taken this long, but if the conspiracy theories are true, he’ll announce Wednesday night?
If not Wednesday night on McAfee’s show, then when? NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport doesn’t believe Rodgers will wait until after the 2025 NFL Draft, but there remains the real possibility that he could to see what moves teams make at the quarterback position.
And while it’s hard to agree with Canty all that much ever, he’s spot-on here. If Rodgers doesn’t give an answer soon — whether that’s Wednesday night or this week, the Steelers need to pivot and shift all their focus to the draft and the quarterback class.
Fortunately, they’ve been doing their homework on guys and seem prepared, but without a Rodgers decision soon, things could really shift in that room.
“I thought it was interesting what Dan Orlovsky has been saying, but he reiterated yesterday on Get Up that he thinks it’s a lot closer when it comes to Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart than a lot of people realize. And that there are teams, multiple teams that love Jaxson Dart. Maybe the Pittsburgh Steelers are one of those teams,” Canty added. “We know that they’ve done their due diligence on both of those quarterbacks. So if it’s not Aaron Rodgers telling you he’s coming tomorrow, then I think Pittsburgh’s focus has to shift to the NFL draft.”
We’ll see if the conspiracy theories are true, and Rodgers announces Wednesday night in Pittsburgh. If not, there is no end in sight. Team president and owner Art Rooney II seemed a bit irritated last week at the NFL owners meetings in Florida regarding the Rodgers situation and how it has played out.
It will be interesting to see how much longer the Steelers ultimately wait.
