Though no official word has been made, the Pittsburgh Steelers remain optimistic QB Aaron Rodgers will eventually sign on the dotted line. Consistent communication with Rodgers and his camp is fueling their belief, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler outlined Monday.
“People I’ve checked with say the Steelers remain optimistic here,” Fowler said on SportsCenter earlier today. “They have been in touch with Aaron Rodgers, but that there’s still no hard and fast update. Clearly, the Steelers are respecting Aaron Rodgers’ time. He had alluded in the past on The Pat McAfee Show that he had some issues in his inner circle that he wanted to work out. So the Steelers acknowledge that and are aware of those type of situations.”
Pittsburgh has seemingly communicated with Rodgers since mid-March when the New York Jets released him. He visited with the team the following week but hasn’t had any obvious or visible contact since. The fact the two sides remain talking behind the scenes is just another indication Rodgers wants to play in 2025 and wants to do so in Pittsburgh. As others have noted, Rodgers doesn’t want his career to end on a five-win season in New York where everyone, himself included, was summarily dismissed.
But if the question isn’t “if,” then it becomes “when?” The Steelers appear to have less clarity there, though Fowler noted by the end of the month is in the team’s interests.
“They have May 27th OTA starting,” Fowler said. “They would love him there. That gives him three weeks to potentially sign there and work out.”
Organized team activities are voluntary and even if Rodgers signed, he wouldn’t be required to attend them. After two weeks of those sessions, Pittsburgh will hold a mandatory three-day minicamp in mid-June. It might be old hat to veterans like Rodgers, but the offseason practices serve as important building blocks for a new team and young offense in need of a leader.
Missing those sessions only creates a larger learning curve for everyone once training camp begins and the Steelers have little time to waste. Rodgers would likely only be in Pittsburgh for 2025. Neither side can afford a slow start to the season.
There’s a growing belief Rodgers will make an announcement soon. Of course, the same was said during the first week of free agency, after Rodgers’ visit, ahead of the draft, and during last week’s schedule release. No one knows when Rodgers will say anything. The only consistent part of this saga is Pittsburgh’s belief it will happen at some point before Week 1.
