After the 2025 NFL Draft, one storyline reigned supreme regarding the rest of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offseason. That involved Aaron Rodgers, and whether he would sign with the Steelers.
Early on Wednesday morning, that storyline quickly took a backseat. The Steelers made a surprising move, sending George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. Of course, now with the hole at WR2, many are questioning whether this move could impact Rodgers’ decision regarding the Steelers.
Former NFL GM Doug Whaley joined 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday and was asked whether he’d still sign with the Steelers if he was Aaron Rodgers.
“I wouldn’t,” Whaley said. “When you think about it, this is starting to talk his legacy. You want to reclaim your pecking order as one of the most talented quarterbacks in NFL history. And you don’t want to go out on a team that just doesn’t have the ammunition around you, to help you reach that goal. Are they [Steelers] going to put the pieces around me to help me be successful? He knows he needs some other pieces around him, for him to elevate his game.”
For what it’s worth, Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo said Wednesday that the Pickens trade is “separate” from Rodgers. He also wondered how Rodgers and Pickens may have meshed in the locker room.
It’s also been reported that Rodgers and Mike Tomlin have been in communication throughout the offseason. If that’s the case, Rodgers likely would have had some sort of inkling that a move like this could happen. There was chatter about the trade during the draft, and clearly that didn’t go away afterward, even with this point in the offseason feeling like a strange time to pull the trigger on this trade.
Pittsburgh is now back to having one real threat at wide receiver on its roster. Which is the same issue they ran into last year. They seem to be confident in Roman Wilson. If the second-year wide receiver ends up having a great 2025 season, then this move looks much better in hindsight. For now, it’s more than fair to question it.
