So far, the Pittsburgh Steelers have spent most of this offseason with a huge question mark at quarterback. Mason Rudolph is currently at the top of the depth chart, but the Steelers have continued to flirt with Aaron Rodgers. At this point, it feels inevitable that Rodgers will join the Steelers. However, nothing is guaranteed. OTAs are almost here, and there’s no sign that a decision is coming soon from Rodgers. Former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson thinks it’s a bad sign if Rodgers isn’t on the Steelers for OTAs.
“Then Aaron Rodgers obviously isn’t serious about playing football,” Johnson said recently on FS1’s Speak. “And he’s not serious about his teammates rallying around him if he’s not at OTAs.”
It’s tough to say whether or not Rodgers will be with a team for OTAs. For the Steelers, OTAs begin on May 27, which is approaching quickly. Therefore, for Johnson to think Rodgers actually wants to play in 2025, he’d have to join Pittsburgh soon.
That could happen, but some notable insiders believe Rodgers could miss OTAs. That wouldn’t be ideal. If Rodgers signs with the Steelers, he’ll have to learn a new offense and develop chemistry with his new teammates. It would be nice if he could start to integrate himself with the Steelers during those sessions.
For what it’s worth, Johnson seems very confident that Rodgers will sign with the Steelers and join them for OTAs.
“I think he will be at OTAs, absolutely, 100%. I think he should be at OTAs, and I think he will be at OTAs, unlike the situation with the Jets when he was in Egypt. Different situation. He had control of the situation in New York. He does not have control in this situation.”
Last year, Rodgers missed some offseason activities with the New York Jets. Reportedly, he was on a trip to Egypt during that time. This created quite the stir, causing people to ask questions about how committed Rodgers was to the Jets.
However, OTAs aren’t mandatory. Even if Rodgers signs with the Steelers right now, he wouldn’t have to attend OTAs. While Pittsburgh usually has near-perfect attendance for OTAs, missing them wouldn’t make or break Rodgers’ season. He stated that he’s dealing with personal issues, and if that causes him to miss OTAs, then his potential new teammates probably wouldn’t be too upset.
Also, reports have indicated that the Steelers wouldn’t be mad if Rodgers isn’t with them for OTAs. He could sign with them after OTAs but before mandatory minicamp, which is only separated by a few days. At this point, it seems like the Steelers don’t care if they have to wait a few extra days to sign Rodgers as long as he joins their team. OTAs don’t seem like a hard deadline for Rodgers.
