On Thursday, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk said that “there’s no deadline looming” as the Pittsburgh Steelers wait to learn what quarterback Aaron Rodgers intends to do this upcoming season.
That’s amid reports claiming he’s serious about possibly sitting out for at least one entire campaign if he doesn’t receive a call from the Minnesota Vikings later this offseason.
During a Thursday appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show,” NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero explained why Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin isn’t giving Rodgers any ultimatums as of the final Friday of March.
“Tomlin, it seems like, is patient and is willing to wait for a player [Rodgers] that he’s really coveted for some time,” Pelissero said, as shared by Jake Brockhoff of Steelers Depot. “And this is a unique opportunity to get a four-time NFL MVP. The Steelers feel like they are set up really well to be a factor this year in the AFC and in a really tough AFC North division.”
It’s also worth noting that Tomlin likely feels he has no other choice but to respect Rodgers’ timetable for a decision. Pittsburgh let quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson find new football homes in free agency after they helped the 2024 Steelers reach the playoffs. Additionally, Tomlin and Co. didn’t do enough to keep Sam Darnold from signing with the Seattle Seahawks.
As of Friday, longtime backup Mason Rudolph was on track to be Pittsburgh’s QB1 this September.
Tomlin’s plan to get the signal-caller “he’s really coveted for some time” continues to be held up by a Vikings team that clearly isn’t yet all-in on naming 2024 first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy its Week 1 starter after he spent his rookie season recovering from the full meniscus repair he needed this past August. Rodgers theoretically could wait until the Vikings evaluate McCarthy from the start of springtime workouts through their final mandatory minicamp practice to make a call about his future.
The Steelers are reportedly high on Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, but he is probably a project for the future who should spend his rookie season developing as a backup. At some point, Pittsburgh may have to at least consider giving the Atlanta Falcons a call regarding a trade for Kirk Cousins if Rodgers insists on remaining unsigned through the draft that gets underway on April 24.
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