The Pittsburgh Steelers have reportedly agreed to terms with free agent QB Aaron Rodgers, a move that was long thought to be coming. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to the Steelers, who waited for Rodgers to make his decision, and CBS NFL insider Jonathan Jones said the two sides have been in “constant communication” this offseason.
“Publicly, [the Steelers] played it cool. They said ‘Hey, we’re moving forward with the folks who are here, we’re gonna talk about the people who are here.’ In the background, there was constant communication. Both sides were of the understanding of what was going on.”
Pittsburgh being in contact with Rodgers and understanding his situation makes it easy to see why the team didn’t heavily pursue any other quarterback option. The team re-signed Mason Rudolph, but despite being linked to Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins, the Steelers never pulled the trigger on a move and were content to watch other veteran quarterback options come off the market. While Rodgers to the Steelers has been heavily expected, it was never a guarantee, although Pittsburgh’s communication with him likely helped the team feel just fine about its chances of signing him.
It also explains why the team never put a public deadline on him to sign, seemingly content to wait until Rodgers was ready. Minicamp was a date that was reportedly important to them, though, and with that starting on June 10, Rodgers will get his first action with the Steelers. The Steelers likely relayed to Rodgers that they’d like to have him signed by mandatory minicamp, and he will accommodate the organization by doing so.
It’s no big surprise that the two sides were in touch, with team owner Art Rooney II repeatedly expressing confidence that Pittsburgh would sign Rodgers and the team’s lack of concern about the quarterback position. With Rodgers in the fold, the Steelers feel they’ll have a chance to make a playoff run in 2025, and Rodgers will get a chance to show that he still has something left in the tank after a disappointing 2024 season with the Jets.
The two sides likely view the arrangement as a mutually beneficial partnership, and the Steelers had confidence all along they would wind up signing Rodgers. The four-time NFL MVP will get a chance to play for Mike Tomlin, who is a big reason why he’s coming to Pittsburgh.
