The Pittsburgh Steelers hope Aaron Rodgers will be in uniform and practicing with the team by next week. Until then, the organization is focused on fine-tuning its future. Offering a Friday update on the Rodgers’ saga, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler says the team’s brass isn’t expecting a decision this Memorial Day weekend and isn’t even in town.
“The whole Steelers’ front office is out at a retreat for scouting purposes they do every year,” Fowler said on SportsCenter. “It’s not really on the radar for [Rodgers’ signing] to happen right now.”
Clearly, this is not a team that thinks Rodgers will offer an immediate answer, even as he publicly implies he’ll end up in Pittsburgh.
Details about the Steelers’ retreat aren’t known, but figure to be common around the league. Teams have little downtime, and it largely comes in one of two windows: right now before OTAs start, and the six-week lull after mandatory minicamp next month, before training camp starts and the season begins anew.
This time of year is also when teams often make scouting changes. Contracts usually run through May 1st, though the team website is notoriously laggy for updating the Steelers’ staff. So far, there have been no additions or deletions to the team’s scouting personnel. Last year saw a wave of new names brought in: Senior Personnel Assistant Quentin Harris, Assistant Director of Player Scouting Max Gruder, area scout Jimmy Noel, and BLESTO Scout Matt McCreight.
Under GM Omar Khan, the Steelers have turned over much of the Kevin Colbert staff, partially due to tenure. Several of Colbert’s long-time scouts simply retired or moved on. Mark Gorscak and Phil Kreidler are examples, though the former is still involved in football with the Senior Bowl. Khan and Assistant GM Andy Weidl also brought in some of their guys. Khan hired long-time friend Mark Sadkowski, while Weidl added brother Casey.
Only a handful of Colbert’s crew remain on-staff, including Kevin’s son, Dan, the Steelers’ Director of College Scouting.
Every draft is the most important one. That will be doubly true for 2026, when Pittsburgh is presumably in the first-round quarterback mix. Khan’s vision appears to be spending the past three draft classes building up the trenches, making heavy investments in the offensive and defensive lines. Quarterbacks appear to be the focus next year, a pick the franchise must get right after striking out in 2022.
