During a Wednesday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” current Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and soon-to-be free agent Aaron Rodgers revealed that “there’s been no deadline that’s been put in front of me” regarding when the Steelers would want to know if he will serve as their starting quarterback next season.
On Wednesday evening, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport suggested that outsiders may not have to wait too much longer to learn about Rodgers’ plans for this year.
When Steelers expect to learn final Aaron Rodgers decision
“Here’s what I know,” Rapoport said, per Ross McCorkle of Steelers Depot. “The Steelers do expect a decision from Aaron Rodgers before free agency. There has been intimation that that would be the case.”
The “legal tampering” portion of free agency gets underway at noon ET on March 9. The new league year opens at 4 p.m. ET on March 11.
While speaking with reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine last week, Steelers general manager Omar Khan insisted that he did not “foresee” the latest Rodgers-related saga “going like it did last year.” While Rodgers remained in contact with the Steelers throughout last offseason, he didn’t officially sign a one-year deal to join the club until June 2025.
One fear among Steelers fans is that the club’s desire for Rodgers to return could result in Pittsburgh missing out on the likes of Kyler Murray, Malik Willis and Kirk Cousins in the event that the future Hall of Famer surprises members of the football community and decides to retire. Assuming Rapoport is correct, Khan and Co. don’t share those concerns.
Why Steelers, Aaron Rodgers have “no contract”
While speaking with McAfee on Wednesday, Rodgers shared that “there’s no contract offer or anything” between him and the Steelers. Rapoport explained why that’s the case.
“Rodgers said there’s no deadline because they’re not gonna offer a deal until they know that he is gonna accept a deal,” Rapoport continued. “…Still hope it’s done before next week. If not, then the Steelers really face the decision of, do we go out and get another quarterback?”
Numerous reports have indicated the Steelers are confident Rodgers will give them one more season as their QB1. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio is among those who think the fact that Rodgers hasn’t yet disappeared from public view shows the 42-year-old plans to play later this year.
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