Though it’s no surprise the NFL’s longest-tenured and one of the most influential head coaches in football got his pick of who the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2025 quarterback would be, beat writer Gerry Dulac confirmed Monday that Mike Tomlin was the catalyst for Aaron Rodgers ending up in Pittsburgh. For better or worse.
Joining Rich Eisen, Dulac made clear Tomlin drove the Rodgers’ bus all three months.
“Mike Tomlin is the person behind this whole thing,” Dulac told the show. “He’s the guy who wanted him. Obviously, Art Rooney II, if he didn’t wanna do this, he wouldn’t have done it. But this was all Mike Tomlin’s idea. This is what he wanted, and he pushed for it. And he got him.”
The feeling was evidently mutual. Shortly after the agreement became public, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tomlin was a key reason why Rodgers chose to sign with Pittsburgh instead of waiting out his options or potentially retiring.
As Dulac notes, it’s a move that ownership signed off on. But if Tomlin didn’t want Rodgers, he wouldn’t be in Pittsburgh right now. It’s more proof of Tomlin’s control over how the Steelers’ roster is constructed. It also explains why Pittsburgh was willing to wait so long, even if Rooney, at times, sounded annoyed by the delay. Tomlin wanted to bring Rodgers in, and so the team was patient to an unprecedented degree.
It’s not clear what about Rodgers made Tomlin push for him so hard. Justin Fields, according to reports, was the team’s first choice. Perhaps once that was no longer an option, Tomlin realized Rodgers was the top quarterback left. It’s apparent Pittsburgh had no plans using a top draft pick on the position, instead focusing on beefing up the defensive front seven. That left free agency as the only method to find a starter, and Rodgers quickly became the best option left.
Wanting to win every year, Tomlin is trying to keep the Steelers’ contention window open. Driven by a desire to win while the defense can still play at a top-ten level. However, it’s also a team that’s getting older and lacks a playoff resume. Combined, Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt, and Minkah Fitzpatrick have one career playoff win. A reality that has to gnaw at Tomlin as he pushes to rewrite that story.
Perhaps it’s a futile attempt, and Pittsburgh didn’t magically become Super Bowl contenders with the signing. In fact, oddsmakers didn’t move their chances an inch. But it’s the motivation for the Steelers, once again, to reload in the hopes of playing meaningful football come January.
