As the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to wait for an answer from 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers ahead of the start of Organized Team Activities later this month, the fan base is growing rather impatient, which could — and should — affect the reception that the Rodgers news gets if and when he signs.
While Rodgers might have been viewed as a savior coming to the New York Jets for the 2023 season, that won’t be the case for the Steelers, Good Morning Football’s Kyle Brandt believes.
“I’ve heard from multiple Steelers fans online multiple saying, ‘Screw it. I’d rather go to war with [Mason] Rudolph. He’s one of us, he’s a Steeler. Let’s take our chances. Let’s play some defense, [rather] than waiting around for this guy,'” Brandt said, according to video via NFL Network. “That’s the difference with Rodgers right now. If you go back two years and he’s joining the Jets as a savior and a Messiah, like that guy in that organization, they don’t really do Messiahs. That’s why like, the Steelers fans, they have a trust fund. They were born wealthy. They never have to worry about anything. They’re rich, they’re spoiled. The Jets fans are standing around a barrel fire and fingerless gloves trying to stay warm. That they were like, ‘Ee would lie down in traffic to have Aaron Rodgers even glance at them.’
“The Steelers are like, ‘Yeah, I mean we went through this last year.’ Didn’t the Steelers just bring in a supposed all-time great to come into their team and take them to the promised land? It was like Russell Wilson, one and done. See you later. It’s like it never even happened.”
The Steelers did just go through that last year with Russell Wilson. At times, there were some highs, but things bottomed out as the Steelers lost five straight games to end the season, the offense failed to score more than 17 points in a game during that stretch, and reports surfaced that Wilson clashed with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith late in the season.
Ultimately, the Steelers moved on from Wilson. But they also lost out on Justin Fields, Sam Darnold wasn’t interested in coming to Pittsburgh, and then the Steelers passed on a number of big-name quarterbacks in the draft class over the weekend.
So now, the Steelers find themselves waiting on Rodgers. The fan base doesn’t seem all that excited right now. In fact, there’s a growing sense of annoyance that he hasn’t made a decision yet.
Rodgers is dealing with personal things off the field and hasn’t really thought about football, but there’s still the hope he’s the quarterback for the Black and Gold this season.
Just don’t expect that hope to come from Steelers fans in general, as they seem fed up with the Rodgers situation.
“There will be a completely different reception if and when Rodgers even chooses the Steelers,” Brandt said. “This is not the Jets. The Steelers are…they’re spoiled brats. They’re not interested in you until you can start winning playoff games for them.”
That’s pretty spot-on from Brandt, who is not a Steelers fan but seems to have a good grasp of their fans and the expectations time and time again.
There won’t be a huge welcoming party for Rodgers. It’ll be, show up and win football games, period. Steelers fans might be a bit spoiled but in a good way. They expect the team to win games and compete for championships. That’s what Rodgers is walking into, should he decide to sign with the Steelers.
