If Aaron Rodgers is going to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers and be embraced as a team leader, it needs to happen this month. That’s how former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck framed his personal deadline for Rodgers, explaining why it needs to happen by May 27, the first day of Organized Team Activities (OTAs).
“I just mentioned the three phases for a veteran quarterback,” Hasselbeck told FS1’s Colin Cowherd on Monday. “Phase One feels like a waste of your time. Like, it’s just lifting…There’s no football there. Anyway, Phase Two, again, you’re throwing to guys on air, not that important. Phase Three I think is really important. So for the Pittsburgh Steelers, I believe that’s May 27th. May 27th is the start of Phase Three.”
Pittsburgh’s offseason program began last month, but the NFL CBA forces a gradual ramp-up. It began strictly with weight room workouts with the strength and conditioning staff. More recently, the team could take the field for loosely-organized workouts but not true practices. That won’t begin until the first day of OTAs on the 27th. Though voluntary, if Rodgers is going to lead the team while getting to know the playbook and his teammates, it’s hard to excuse him missing those sessions. Those OTAs are soon followed by a three-day mandatory minicamp in June.
“I would circle that May 27th date as a date that like, it would really be detrimental to be starting the missing time at that point,” Hasselbeck said.
It’s a point we’ve made before and one implied by owner Art Rooney II during the draft. Publicly, Rooney’s bristled more than Mike Tomlin or Omar Khan over the wait and suggested getting Aaron Rodgers’ inked by the spring was important.
“I do think we may get word soon obviously with things starting to crank up here with the offseason program, etc.,” Rooney said on April 25. “If he’s coming, [we] would like to get him here soon for some of that.”
There’s nothing that says Rodgers must attend OTAs in order to sign with the Steelers. And so far, no ultimatum has been issued by Pittsburgh to Rodgers saying he must participate. But if Rodgers doesn’t decide by then, there will be serious questions over his playing plans and if Pittsburgh should even remain interested.
With a locker room that likes and respects Mason Rudolph, the Steelers will have an increasingly tough time selling it to the group if Rodgers hasn’t reported less than one month from now.
