One day before the Pittsburgh Steelers start Organized Team Activities, things are no closer to a decision from 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers on whether he is going to sign with the Steelers or ride off into retirement.
Of course, Rodgers did drop some hints during a Q&A session at a concert in Austin, Texas. But while those hints were certainly noteworthy, things are no closer to Rodgers signing on the dotted line to join the Steelers.
As Pittsburgh enters OTAs this week, the noise is only going to grow louder with Rodgers not there. For ESPN’s Dan Graziano, who appeared on ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike Monday morning, he doesn’t get the sense that the Steelers have any regrets about how they’ve handled their quarterback situation this offseason.
“I don’t get that sense. I think if you got the Steelers and you gave them truth serum, what they would tell you is we didn’t really like any of the options that were available at quarterback this off season, including Aaron Rodgers,” Graziano said of the Steelers and the quarterback situation, according to audio via ESPN Radio. “So we’re just kind of going with what we ended up being left with. Like, they didn’t feel like spending more on Justin Fields than the Jets did. They didn’t feel like bringing Russell Wilson back. They didn’t feel, for whatever reason, like playing on Sam Darnold in free agency or drafting a quarterback in the first five rounds.
“So, I think around the time of the draft, I got the sense the Steelers were looking at like the next two drafts, the one that just happened, and the one next year, as possibly, a better option for addressing their long-term quarterback situation.”
Focusing on the draft — whether that was the 2025 NFL Draft, or the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh — is what the Steelers have seemingly done at the quarterback position. They’ve played the compensatory draft pick game under GM Omar Khan and even traded wide receiver George Pickens for a 2026 third-round pick, loading up for the 2026 NFL Draft, which is projected to have a good quarterback class.
That it is in Pittsburgh adds even more intrigue for the Steelers, who have the chance to swing big and land their potential franchise quarterback. They can do that without having committed big money or terms to quarterbacks on the open market this offseason.
Though the Steelers wanted Justin Fields to return and be their starting quarterback, they seemingly weren’t willing to get into a bidding war with the New York Jets. They showed no interest in Russell Wilson returning, either, letting him sign with the New York Giants. There was some interest in Sam Darnold, with the Steelers reportedly offering him a contract, but he chose to sign with Seattle.
So, the Steelers are left waiting for an answer from Rodgers.
It’s not a great position to be in, but the Steelers seem rather relaxed and calm with the situation. Team owner and president Art Rooney II stated that the team is willing to wait a little longer for Rodgers, and ESPN’s Brooke Pryor previously reported that the Steelers believe Rodgers is a plug-and-play quarterback, and that it doesn’t matter when he shows up.
But the longer this drags on, the more negative attention will be placed on the situation, for both Rodgers and the Steelers. It’s already been an offseason filled with chatter about Rodgers, how the Steelers have handled this poorly, and how Pittsburgh needs to move on from him.
The Steelers, according to Graziano, are comfortable no matter what. They believe in Mason Rudolph as a guy who can lead the offense if needed.
“They don’t hate Mason Rudolph. Like, he helped them get to the playoffs two years ago with the way he played in December. They feel like Mason Rudolph can play quarterback well enough that they can be a playoff team because of their defense and their run game, whatever else that they’re doing, they’re coaching, et cetera,” Graziano said. “So, I think if Aaron Rodgers shows up, they’re fine with it.
“I think if he doesn’t show up, they’re fine with it and they don’t feel like they’re sitting here waiting for Patrick Mahomes to make a decision. Aaron Rodgers is 41 years old, wasn’t very good last year, and you’re not getting the MVP-caliber dude at this point in his career.”
The Steelers might not hate Rudolph as a starting quarterback, but to go into the 2025 season with him as QB1 and rookie Will Howard as the backup, all while having aspirations of making the playoffs and trying to win a playoff game for the first time in a decade, isn’t exactly the best course of action.
Of course, that could help the Steelers long-term. If they struggle in 2025, they’ll pick pick relatively high in the 2026 NFL Draft and have all that draft capital ammunition to move up if they want to. But for now, they’re waiting for Rodgers. Despite being in this position in late May, the Steelers don’t seem to have any regrets.
