As of Thursday morning, the Pittsburgh Steelers seemed to be the only team ready to sign free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
It appears Rodgers is in no hurry to join Pittsburgh before the end of March after he spent more than six hours meeting with the Steelers last Friday.
“He met with their coaches,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said during Thursday’s “Get Up” program, Bleacher Report’s Doric Sam shared. “The two sides talked about what it would be like to work together, but there still was no answer about what Aaron Rodgers wants to do. There are people who believe that he may not play this year. There are people who believe he’s waiting to see if something might open down the line in Minnesota with the Vikings. But nobody knows for sure what Aaron Rodgers’ game plan is, and for the time being, the Steelers are in the dark.”
Numerous reporters have said throughout March that Rodgers prefers to sign with a Vikings team coming off a 14-3 season and having 2024 first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy set to serve as its starter. McCarthy hasn’t been guaranteed the QB1 job after missing his entire rookie campaign due to a full meniscus repair. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah hinted on Wednesday that he could reach out to Rodgers depending on how McCarthy looks from spring workouts through the end of mandatory minicamp.
Meanwhile, the Steelers may be concerned about whether Rodgers and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith are a good fit for each other. Smith is reportedly “excited” to possibly work with Rodgers, but one wonders if the feeling isn’t mutual for the future Hall of Famer.
Pittsburgh is all-in on landing Rodgers after the club let Justin Fields and Russell Wilson walk. The Steelers could always try to trade for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins if Rodgers decides he’d rather not play than relocate to the Steel City. Still, a team like the Cleveland Browns could swoop in for Cousins before the draft ends on April 26.
