It’s June 4th, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are in the same place they were on May 4th. And April 4th. With the way things are playing out, things might be the same come the Fourth of July. Even plugged-in insiders like ESPN’s Adam Schefter admit as of right now, Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers are no closer to a deal than they were since he left the team facility in late March.
“We still don’t know whether Aaron Rodgers is going to be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback,” Schefter said on NFL Live Wednesday. “We’ve heard Art Rooney, the Steelers’ owner, say that they expect that Rodgers eventually will sign. But here we are, June 4th, nothing but silence.”
Rooney has expressed optimism that Rodgers will sign, but it has been hard to determine whether he’s reading the same public headlines as everyone else or if he has inside information. Reports have remained consistent that Rodgers and the Steelers have remained in communication, but the nature of those discussions isn’t known.
Nothing indicates there’s a “secret” deal for Rodgers to sign at some point. The closest confirmation was Rodgers’ comments last month, hinting and trolling about a certain team playing in Chicago this season. Pittsburgh comes to town in Week 12.
Thursday marks the Steelers’ final day of voluntary OTAs. Next week, the roster will report for a three-day mandatory minicamp. Some view it as the true line in the sand for Rodgers, but reporters have pivoted and begun to shift expectations for a resolution of this saga to occur in July instead of June. Schefter wonders if Pittsburgh will pivot.
“If he’s not there for the mandatory mini camp and he’s just planning to show up for training camp, does that organization have a conversation and say, ‘should we be calling the Atlanta Falcons to see if there’s a way to get Kirk Cousins in here if we have not been given any assurances from Aaron Rodgers?'” he said.
No news is often good news. It made for an all-time story from a Chicago reporter in 2003. However, in Pittsburgh, the longer there is “no news,” the more angst will be felt internally and externally. At some point, Rodgers will need to give the Steelers an answer. Or eventually, the Steelers will have to put Rodgers on the spot. Play for us or don’t, we need an answer.
