Aaron Rodgers long ago became a topic that Steelers fans are sick of hearing about. Unfortunately, it’s one they’re having to keep in mind anyway.
Many looked at this week’s NFL Draft as something of a deadline. It could be one for Rodgers, who now seems to be waiting until after the draft to make his decision. The deadline is real for the Steelers as well. While they’re waiting for Rodgers, they can take action themselves and potentially land their quarterback of the future through the draft.
Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan spoke to the media on Tuesday ahead of Thursday’s draft. Tomlin was asked whether Aaron Rodgers’ indecision affects the Steelers’ draft moves. Tomlin’s answer was as short as possible but extremely clear.
“It does not.”
Moments later, Tomlin was asked whether their draft choices would affect their pursuit of Rodgers. Tomlin’s response was vague, but it left the possibility open that if the Steelers do take a quarterback, they could end their pursuit of Rodgers.
“I think what you do in the draft often affects maybe some talent acquisition that happens after. We’ll see how the acquisition goes this weekend.”
NFL Network’s Judy Battista wonders the same thing. She had this to say about Tomlin’s comments.
“That certainly left the door open to the possibility that if they get a quarterback in the draft, perhaps they cool on Aaron Rodgers,” Battista said on The Insiders on Tuesday.
When Aaron Rodgers spoke to Pat McAfee last week, he didn’t sound thrilled about playing football in 2024. Rodgers mentioned issues in his personal life that have kept him from making an official decision on the 2026 season. Keep in mind that this is Rodgers’ first free agency cycle as well, despite his being 41 years old.
Rodgers is entitled to take as much time as he needs to decide. And the Steelers have been more than patient with him. With that said, they do have to move on with their offseason. The chance of them landing a quarterback with the 21st overall pick seems much more real now than it did a month ago.
Tomlin’s comments make this feel like a real possibility. By saying their draft choices can affect ‘talent acquisition’ afterwards, directly in response to a question about Aaron Rodgers, it feels really hard to ignore.
That said, Omar Khan has mentioned a few times now that he wants to bring four quarterbacks into training camp. Even if the Steelers draft one, they’ll only have three on the roster. That leaves the door open for Rodgers or another veteran to join as well. Or, the Steelers could bring in an undrafted free agent instead.
At the end of the day, it’s a relatively significant statement from Tomlin. While he didn’t say anything to suggest they’re cooling on Rodgers, this feels like the first time the team has acknowledged that they could be willing to take a different approach.
