PFR’s poll pointing to a potential Aaron Rodgers-Steelers fit did not draw a high vote count back in December, but it is starting to look like this could happen. A Rodgers deal with Pittsburgh may be close.
The Steelers could have a deal in place with Rodgers as soon as Tuesday, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports. The future first-ballot Hall of Fame became connected to the Steelers recently, but Florio adds the parties have been in talks for several days — when it became clear Justin Fields would explore free agency.
[RELATED: Jets Agree To Terms With Justin Fields]
Pittsburgh still may need to fend off the Giants, who were rumored to prefer Rodgers to Russell Wilson. Despite the Steelers using Wilson as their primary starter last season, it appears they do as well. Although Rodgers will turn 42 before 2025 ends, he is still drawing interest from QB-needy teams.
Rodgers’ desire, per Florio, to play two more seasons factors into his decision-making here. Whereas the Giants are likely to add a first-round quarterback — they are at least in position to do so and have been linked to trading up to No. 1 overall — the Steelers hover outside the top 20 in the draft and are not in a position to nab one of this class’ top two options. As such, the Steelers would be in better position to hold off on a younger passer if they land Rodgers, who has not confirmed he is playing in 2025.
It has been believed Rodgers will come back for a 21st season, and despite an underwhelming Jets tenure, the all-time QB talent has generated a bit of a bidding war — as far as fit goes, at least. The Giants may still be involved here, Florio adds, but the Steelers would stand to give Rodgers a better chance to reach the playoffs in 2025. Baggage aside, Rodgers would provide the Steelers with an upgrade on what they have deployed at QB in recent years — particularly from a passing standpoint. As far as the rest of the Rodgers experience goes, that would be borderline must-see TV when paired with Mike Tomlin.
Despite Rodgers’ antics over the past few years, the Steelers taking this chance does not seem too farfetched based purely on football. Although the four-time MVP has not closely resembled that version in recent years, he finished with 28 touchdown passes compared to 11 interceptions last season. QBR still ranked Rodgers 25th — three spots behind Wilson — last season, when he tied a career-low with 6.7 yards per attempt. After Kenny Pickett and the Wilson-Fields combination did not do enough to complement Pittsburgh’s defense, the team may be close to a gamble — fit-wise — as the T.J. Watt–Cameron Heyward–Minkah Fitzpatrick trio’s primes wane.
Kahn keeps going after has beens and never will bes for the most important position on the field. He’s wasting an elite defense. The Steelers are a legit QB away from being contenders. Inexcusable
What elite QB did he pass on? Rooney is the one who wanted Pickett. That was purely a post pandemic financial move.
None of the guys this year are even good. That doesn’t make nuking the lockerroom with a cancer like Roger’s is a good idea but we can’t pretend elite qb are a choice.
Pit needs more than a QB. Questions at RB and from the couple games I saw last year o line and defensive front seven minus Watt.
Steelers have one of the best young o-lines in the game rn. Pretty much all 1st year starters and showed a lot of potential.
Definitely need a DT
Definitely need a CB
Definitely need a RB
Biggest hole was WR and QB, so not gonna complain about ending up with DKM & AR12
Tell fields and Russell about that Steelers offensive line as they recover from off season concussion protocol, over and over and over and over and over again. Putrid offensive line
1.) OL – can B. Jones hold down LT? Fautanu at RT? Those are 2 big questions — make or break the season.
2.) With #21 pick we should be able to address DT/CB/RB — actually, though, they could trade back into the early 2nd round and still address them…perhaps without reaching.
3.) I actually agree with you on Metcalf and Rodgers.
And I agree that trading back is a great option , although I’d prob just take CBs Hairston or Johnson if one slips to 21
RB I recently came across a 2023 stat where Warren was ranked 4th in YPC , so I do think that may be a situation that only needs supplemented more than replaced, at least just for 2025 with limited assets. Either draft one day 3 or sign a vet backup for way cheaper than Najee’s 9.5M
Warren pretty much deserves a chance as a lead back. Wouldn’t lose and sleep over just adding a Gus Edwards or someone to back him up
If they go the DLine route, have to decide between taking a more versatile Harmon at 21, or trading back and taking a 2-down run stuffer like Kenneth Grant
First, and foremost, I do not see Warren as a 20-25 carry back. People can say what they want about Harris…he could take the workload.
I agree 100% on Johnson or Barron.
But when it comes to DL…have to be careful of scheme. Does a guy like Nolen fit…? I agree on Grant — pure NT. Maybe land some DE help (Mills, Robinson) later in the draft.
I just think…if you can move back and let someone grab a QB and move back into the 1st from early 2nd…you could perhaps grab more draft capital and continue beefing up the DL.
While we grabbed Metcalf, we need to ask ourselves what we’re doing with Austin/Wilson — do we need an Egbuka/Burden/Golden to operate out of the slot? Maybe move back and grab a Bech/Noel.
QB is really key — we NEED to secure someone worth a darn.
Khan isn’t going this without Tomlin’s full blessing.
And I can’t see Tomlin caving to Rodger’s ‘my way or the highway’ bs.
Then you mustn’t know Mike Tomlin
He’s been walked all over by every player he’s ever coached
Guaranteed Hard Knocks team if this happens, right?
They were on it last year
Still haven’t watched tho
Hard Knocks consideration only for new head coach and/or non-playoff team. Steelers won’t qualify.
Hard Knocks should change the rules for 2025. Rodgers/Tomlin/Steelers would be the most exciting Hard Knocks in many years.
They did.
Last year was AFC North featuring Steelers, Bengals, Ravens, Browns
Nobody watched or cared
Dont forget Pickens and DK
Don’t qualify. Were a playoff team.
Well. I’m excited about a lot of free time going forward. Sports is just getting stupid when this is what passes for a solution. Go Giants?! Only you can save the Steelers now!
Next post will be Steelers moving close to deal with Allen Lazard
Naw. Lockett. After they sign Wilson
Obviously a good pickup
Haters gonna hate
It’s a lateral move at best except Rodgers comes with more drama than Wilson does.
How does Rodgers make the Steelers Super Bowl contenders? Cause Wilson or Rodgers they’re not contenders by any stretch of the imagination.
Not with Baltimore Buffalo KC Houston in the mix and can’t rule out the Bengals if they can get some semblance of a defense.
Well at least my pov is you try to catch lightning in a bottle on a 1-year low risk deal with a future HOF
I’d be very interested in a couple of the QBs if they fall to R4
If there’s not a Howard or Ewers at an ideal spot , then just draft one next year when there might be a QB worth taking top 60
Either way, AR or RW buy them some time while providing functional game management
Both of them are guys you can feel comfortable passing in the red zone with, unlike Fields or Pickett
Well, I wouldn’t be excited as a Steelers fan, but they’ve dealt with worse off field and on field.
Rodgers never sexually assaulted any women. He’s just weird
Uggg. How can I root for my team when they sign this guy? I get it. Not many options out there. But while Roger’s is a future Hall of Fame QB, he is washed up and a locker room/team cancer. Father Time always wins. And the Steeler culture is not this guy. I’d rather see Mariota or even Daniel Jones. I wouldn’t expect much from either, but neither is past expiration date with the chance to serve as bridge to next guy. Rogers will tick off whoever is back up QB and simply be a sideshow. He might even cause a US/Ireland diplomatic issue when they travel this fall. Who needs the circus that is this man’s over inflated ego?
Look on the bright side, a lot of Steelers fans want Tomlin gone for some reason. Either it works amazingly or you (and 24 other teams) finally get your wish.
“The Steeler Way” is absolutely BS anyway but, yeah, how do you even try to sell it when your QB is skipping camp to do shrooms in a dark room?
“Uggg. How can I root for my team when they sign this guy?”
Did you have any issues rooting for Ben Roethlisberger? As obnoxious as Rodgers is, he hasn’t done some of the off-the-field stuff that Big Ben did.
And at least Rodgers finally acted as a mentor for Love. Ben never did warm up to Rudolph and took his drafting as an affront.
Doesn’t change the fact that no one can stand the guy and his narcissistic god complex.
Most teammates say very positive things about Rodgers. Davante Adams followed him to the Jets because he just cant stand him right? Make it make sense
So explain to me again on how the Steeler’s believed so much in Russell Wilson that they consider a 43 year old 1 legged QB an IMPROVEMENT! This is just too funny. Haaaa Haaaa Heeee Heeee Nyuk Nyuk. Soytanlee.ROTFLMAO. Should change their name to the Pittsburgh Stooges.
@padam: I totally agree. I don’t want Rodgers on my Giants. I can’t stand him. But if someone can root for the Steelers with Big Ben, I don’t see the issue with rooting for the Steelers with Rodgers.
You might wanna consult with Giant and Titan fans about Danny Dimes and Marcus Mariotta
Pretty sure Tom Brady tied Father Time. Lol
Hey I agree with you. However I absolutely promise, you don’t want Daniel Jones
LOL!! I hope Mike Tomlin punches him in the face at some point in the season. This is great.
What a stumper “Aaron Rodgers” will be to the trivia question: who was the starting QB during Mike Tomlin’s only losing season as the head coach of the Steelers?
Rodgers respects Tomlin
Lol please inform the class how exactly you’re privileged to that information?
This is sounding more and more like a LMFAO moment. On my way to the store to buy some confetti. To think that Fields ASKED to be traded there. As Bob Uecker said Just A bit outside. LOL
Aaron Rodgers was born in 1983.
Ben Roethlisberger was born in 1982.
Ben’s been on his couch for, like, 5 years now.
What’s the plan here? They’ve painted themselves into a sad little corner.
Do you think everyone ages the same? Big Ben couldnt throw the ball more than 20 yards at the end. Rodgers, while not mobile, can still sling it with the best of them. Theres more to a player than the number of years theyve been alive.
“Rodgers’ desire, per Florio, to play two more seasons factors into his decision-making here.”
“As such, the Steelers would be in better position to hold off on a younger passer if they land Rodgers, who has not confirmed he is playing in 2025.”
Ah! Got it!!
Yeah they sign Rodgers and then mid August he says “just kidding”.
I think I’d rather see R Wilson resigned than bring in Rodgers.
Ditto. And still think they will. It’s creating the option so they can bring Wilson down. They didn’t trade for one of his best friends only to see him walk. I’d be disappointed if they did.
So if the Steelers sign Rodgers and he leads the Steelers to a playoff berth and is a model teammate, are all of the Aaron Rodgers haters going to come back and admit they were wrong. His numbers last year were not bad considering all of the dysfunction that the Jets as a whole live on a daily basis.
Rodgers had 28 TD and 11 Int with a long of 71 yards and a QBR of 48 vs Wilson – 16 TD and 5 Int with a long of 46 yards and a QBR of 51.3
Rodgers had 17 games – 3897 yds with 40 sacks and Wilson had 11 games- 2482 yds with 33 sacks. The Steelers obviously don’t think that Wilson is the guy and they let the young QB (Fields) leave for a two year deal with the JETS. Rodgers can still throw a pretty good deep ball and with Pickens and now DK Metcalf the Steelers could actually take the top off the defense.
I could see Rodgers throwing for 42-45 TDs with 9-11 Int and a QBR of 60 plus and over 4,200 yds if he plays all 17 games.
If….. the O-line gives him time to drop back.
You’re actually delusional if you actually believe that’s going to be his stats at the end of the season. You realize you’re basically predicting Rodgers has a MVP caliber season with the Steelers at the age of 41…..
The Rodgers hate is such a head scratcher to me. Dude was not the issue in NY and put up the best season from a QB NYJ has seen since Ryan Fitzpatrick. Not to mention most, if not all of their character analysis theyve gotten from the guy comes from headlines of articles trying to farm revenue by constructing an artificial controversy. You can spot this immediately if anyone says anything about him not taking accountability because if you watch the full press conferences, he’ll say he needs to be better pretty often. They just dont make clips of it bc it doesnt get them clicks
I could see Rodgers throwing for 42-45 TDs with 9-11 Int and a QBR of 60 plus and over 4,200 yds if he plays all 17 games.
-3
What?
That is so sad. Steelers hitting rock bottom.
They pivoted to Rodgers after Terry Hanratty said no thanks…….
Wonder what Terry Bradshaw will think about it?
Signing a 41-year-old QB and having no offensive line seems like a great idea.
Is there any hope of the Steelers fielding a decent offensive line? They’ve done some good work on their receiving room.
They’ve spent a lot of draft capital on the line, but the only decent guy they have is Frazier at center. There’s hope McCormick will improve in year 2, but they just have no one at either tackle spot, and that’s the real issue.
Philly and Detroit have really laid the groundwork for how to be successful in this era of the NFL: Build the best offensive line possible. You can make an average QB look good. You can control the clock with the run game and keep the defense off the field.
If you don’t have a good offensive line you’re screwed, and the Steelers are a little late in figuring this out.
In what world are the 2024 Giants a more enticing team for a 41 year old quarterback than the 2024 Steelers? Don’t get that one.
The Vikings would have been the perfect option for Rodgers in my mind-not just to complete the cycle, but given their past success with veteran plug and plays-but if Rodgers stays healthy, you have to figure that this should be the best option right now for Pittsburgh. I remember thinking that this could play out with how it looked like the chips were falling early in the offseason, and it really could benefit Pittsburgh if it works. This obviously isn’t a long term set up, and there’s no good option in the draft.
This is far from a slam dunk, however. I think that Rodgers is motivated by last year, but this will rely on him actually taking his off-season responsibilities as seriously as he did early in his career to acclimate to a new team. Even though he played better than he was credited for last year, he’s still 41. We’ll see if he can stay healthy and motivated enough to do it. There are going to be a lot of people nervous to see if it will happen. A question that I’d have is what Tomlin thinks of the McAfee shananigans-they let Roethlisberger have his occasionally irreverent radio show, but would they be okay with Rodgers doing his bit on McAfee? We’ll see.
As far as “completing the cycle” goes, in order to replicate Favre’s journey, Rodgers HAS to retire first. (at least once) So before he could join the Vikings at any time, I think right now, he declines the offers from both the Steelers and Giants and goes on some far away retreat.
If that happens, the Steelers return to Russell Wilson and perhaps by the Draft the Falcons realize its best to trade/release Kirk Cousins and he could end up in NY, a la Kurt Warner.
Damn, well is a dark cave ayahuasca retreat undecided segue enough?
Yeah, you do have a point. Maybe it’s more of a remake than a sequel.
I’ve been a Steeler fan for over 40 years. But I will really have to consider stepping back for a year or two if they make this move. Because it’s the worst possible move the franchise could make, both on the field and in the locker room.
Well, my earliest memory goes back to the drafting of Bradshaw but I’ve already stepped back. Madden used to say, “This ain’t your father’s Steelers” and he’s right. To me, it comes down to Tomlin, who has his hand in everything and has a great many people fooled thanks to being loquacious.
An antiquated offensive strategy, a lot of overpriced players and a great many misses in the draft and in free agency. And this idea of “the standard” sure pales in terms of the culture here
I get that it’s hard to replace Troy, Hines, Bus, James, Heath etc—-we were spoiled—but it’s clear that the drop off here in terms of abilities and character are marked contrasts
And you’re right about this guy. To be truthful, they really bungled this entire QB situation
Like, what’s the goal?
I thought everyone decided that spinning tires going 9-8 and one and done wasn’t the way to go.
“We didn’t get anywhere with our old narcissitic diva future HOF QB last year…let’s get an OLDER, MORE narcissistic diva QB with a better HOF resume, that’ll get us past KC, BUF and BAL!!!”
Just heard they are talking about giving Rodgers a 2 year deal at $45 million per year.
That is a BROWNS move.
Someone had a Vince Evans reference here a few weeks ago.
This post is unrelated – yet Im reminded of it for some reason.
If the Steelers would of acquired Rodgers say about 7 yrs ago I would have still said why. They let big Ben stay about 2-3 years longer than they should of. Ben was only a shell of himself when he played his last year, now they may be going with a 42-year-old when they start playing for real in 25. The best years of Rodgers was 10 years ago, he is in the same boat as Ben was before he called it a career. The OLine will have more pressure on them, Rodgers is a pocket passer, his days of scrambling around extending the play is real limited. The Steelers did not exactly set the league on fire with their running game, just saying Rodgers is a big gamble at his age now.