Another day has come and gone, and 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers still hasn’t made a decision regarding where he’s going to play in the 2025 season — or if he’s even going to play at all.
Since the Pittsburgh Steelers first showed interest in Rodgers during the first week of the new league year, and then ultimately hosted him for a free agency visit, the franchise has been in a holding pattern at quarterback as Rodgers has been dealing with some personal things off of the field and isn’t in a rush to make a decision.
Team owner and president Art Rooney II stated on Thursday at the spring league meetings that the team is willing to wait a little longer for Rodgers, giving him the time and the space that he needs, since it has no other options.
But for former NFL defensive end and current ESPN analyst Chris Canty what Rodgers is doing this offseason is a disservice to his next NFL team.
“Well, here’s the thing that’s surprising to me. Aaron Rodgers says that he’s got things that he’s dealing with in his personal life, yet he finds time to sit down for a three-hour interview with Joe Rogan. He finds time to go to the Kentucky Derby. He finds time to fit all these other things in his social calendar, all in his right,” Canty said Friday on Unsportmanlike, according to audio via ESPN Radio. “But he is doing everything other than try to prepare himself for his next stop, if and when he decides, to play quarterback in the National Football League. Again, you’re doing a disservice to whatever team that you plan on joining in the foreseeable future.
“And I just, I don’t understand that. It makes it hard for me to take him seriously. It makes it hard for me to take any other team that’s interested in him at this stage in his career seriously.”
Rodgers did recently appear on Rogan’s podcast for a three-hour interview. While on the show, Rodgers hinted at what he could be dealing with off the field when he discussed cancer treatments with Rogan.
He was also spotted at the Kentucky Derby in recent weeks, and there’s a clip circling on social media of Rodgers at a concert and using a squirt gun on the crowd.
So, Canty has a point bringing up that Rodgers has time for all of this stuff but can’t commit to an NFL team. The longer this drags on, the more it hinders the team-building process for the Steelers and for Rodgers.
The Steelers, though, seem to believe Rodgers is a plug-and-play quarterback and don’t appear worried about him not being present for Organized Team Activities. That puts the real deadline on mandatory minicamp June 10-12 for Rodgers to make a decision.
It sure would be nice to have him present for OTAs though, since the Steelers are putting a lot of eggs in his basket when it comes to competing in 2025. All that time in the offseason is valuable, especially for a QB changing teams, all while being at his age.
He has to be able to connect with his new teammates, and time in the offseason like OTAs are a huge help in that regard.
But Rodgers is off doing his own thing. It has Canty puzzled and also has the former NFL defensive end not wanting Rodgers as his teammate were he in this situation.
“No, no, no. I don’t,” Canty said when asked if he would want Rodgers as his teammate. “I just don’t think the juice is worth the squeeze. I don’t think he’s that kind of player anymore.”
Rodgers might not be the juice worth the squeeze anymore. That’s a real possibility at his age. Other analysts believe that is the case, too, and think that the production he had in the final five games of the 2024 season are a mirage.
The Steelers don’t believe that and are willing to wait for Rodgers because they believe he can help them compete in 2025. Hopefully that gamble pays off for the Steelers because the way Rodgers and the team have handled this offseason has been one giant headache and unnecessary distraction.
