After months of waiting, Steelers finally signing Rodgers
After months of waiting for an answer, it's finally happening. Aaron Rodgers will be the next quarterback of the Steelers.
Rodgers and the Steelers agreed to terms Thursday on a one-year deal, pending a physical. Once completed, Rodgers is expected to attend mandatory minicamp next Tuesday. Financial details are not yet known.
The Steelers' interest in Rodgers dates all the way back to the free agency negotiating window after Justin Fields opted to sign with the Jets. The courtship produced a meeting a couple weeks later at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, in which Rodgers spoke with Art Rooney II, Mike Tomlin, Omar Khan and Arthur Smith, going over many more details other than money. The interest continued to be apparent when Rodgers set up a throwing session with DK Metcalf the last weekend of March, days prior to the NFL annual meeting in Palm Beach, Fla.
Rodgers, 41, had one year left on his three-year, $112.5-million contract he signed with the Jets. He was released following the start of the new NFL year because the Jets planned to cut him with a post-June 1 designation to spread the $49 million in dead cap over the next two seasons instead of absorbing all of it in 2025.
Rodgers became available because of two volatile years with the Jets, specifically a very disappointing 5-12 season in 2024. Coming off an Achilles injury that derailed his entire 2023 season, Rodgers showed he still had something left in the tank.
Last season, he completed 63% of his passes for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Despite being sacked 40 times, Rodgers got rid of the ball quickly as his average time to throw was 2.69 seconds, the third-fastest time among quarterbacks who played at least 12 games. That could help a developing Pittsburgh offensive line that includes three second-year players and one third-year player as four of the five projected starters.
Rodgers also brings a ton of pedigree to the quarterback position. He's a four-time NFL MVP and surefire Hall of Famer.Tomlin is more than familiar with Rodgers' one Super Bowl victory, which came against his Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. He'll have a big weapon in the newly-acquired Metcalf, and Pat Freiermuth is a reliable receiving option at tight end. In addition, both Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell are positive contributors in the passing game out of the backfield.
The two main concerns regarding Rodgers are his age, as he will turn 42 years old before the 2025 season concludes, and his well-documented off-the-field issues and distractions in recent years.
Multiple head coaches have been fired during Rodgers' tumultuous final years in Green Bay and with the Jets. Rodgers has also not shied away from publicly calling out teammates, including Mike Williams just weeks before the Steelers acquired him prior to last season's trade deadline.
Rodgers is a consistent guest on the Pat McAfee Show, which is just another avenue for him to say things that rub people the wrong way, all without the governor of team PR over his head.
Rodgers has played in Matt LaFleur's offense, who Smith worked under with the Titans, but how is that dynamic going to work? Will they butt heads with how the offense is supposed to run? It wouldn't be the first time Rodgers had issues with a playcaller.
That drama can't just be swept under the rug. And, it's dangerous to assume things will be different just because he's playing for a coach that's widely respected by players throughout the league.
Tomlin will have his work cut out for him. The Steelers got rid of some fuel for drama by trading away George Pickens, but there should be some concern over how the locker room will react to adding a quarterback with known off-the-field issues this late in the process. But, not to take the words out right out of his mouth, that's why he's well-compensated.
No matter what the Steelers did at quarterback this offseason, the solution was bound to be temporary, even if they hadn't missed on re-signing Fields. With Rodgers, this is their home-run swing for the 2025 season. There's a reason why they were willing to wait this long for him to sign. They feel confident that the good will outweigh the potential distractions/issues.
There's a chance that we could see a similar scenario to when Brett Favre went to the Vikings or Peyton Manning went to the Broncos.Khan has added a couple of playmakers so far, which gives the offense much needed firepower. Maybe Rodgers still has enough in him to utilize those weapons.
But, there's also just as good of a chance this could be a gigantic -- and dramatic -- catastrophe.
THE ASYLUM
After months of waiting, Steelers finally signing Rodgers
After months of waiting for an answer, it's finally happening. Aaron Rodgers will be the next quarterback of the Steelers.
Rodgers and the Steelers agreed to terms Thursday on a one-year deal, pending a physical. Once completed, Rodgers is expected to attend mandatory minicamp next Tuesday. Financial details are not yet known.
The Steelers' interest in Rodgers dates all the way back to the free agency negotiating window after Justin Fields opted to sign with the Jets. The courtship produced a meeting a couple weeks later at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, in which Rodgers spoke with Art Rooney II, Mike Tomlin, Omar Khan and Arthur Smith, going over many more details other than money. The interest continued to be apparent when Rodgers set up a throwing session with DK Metcalf the last weekend of March, days prior to the NFL annual meeting in Palm Beach, Fla.
Rodgers, 41, had one year left on his three-year, $112.5-million contract he signed with the Jets. He was released following the start of the new NFL year because the Jets planned to cut him with a post-June 1 designation to spread the $49 million in dead cap over the next two seasons instead of absorbing all of it in 2025.
Rodgers became available because of two volatile years with the Jets, specifically a very disappointing 5-12 season in 2024. Coming off an Achilles injury that derailed his entire 2023 season, Rodgers showed he still had something left in the tank.
Last season, he completed 63% of his passes for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Despite being sacked 40 times, Rodgers got rid of the ball quickly as his average time to throw was 2.69 seconds, the third-fastest time among quarterbacks who played at least 12 games. That could help a developing Pittsburgh offensive line that includes three second-year players and one third-year player as four of the five projected starters.
Rodgers also brings a ton of pedigree to the quarterback position. He's a four-time NFL MVP and surefire Hall of Famer. Tomlin is more than familiar with Rodgers' one Super Bowl victory, which came against his Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. He'll have a big weapon in the newly-acquired Metcalf, and Pat Freiermuth is a reliable receiving option at tight end. In addition, both Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell are positive contributors in the passing game out of the backfield.
The two main concerns regarding Rodgers are his age, as he will turn 42 years old before the 2025 season concludes, and his well-documented off-the-field issues and distractions in recent years.
Multiple head coaches have been fired during Rodgers' tumultuous final years in Green Bay and with the Jets. Rodgers has also not shied away from publicly calling out teammates, including Mike Williams just weeks before the Steelers acquired him prior to last season's trade deadline.
Rodgers is a consistent guest on the Pat McAfee Show, which is just another avenue for him to say things that rub people the wrong way, all without the governor of team PR over his head.
Rodgers has played in Matt LaFleur's offense, who Smith worked under with the Titans, but how is that dynamic going to work? Will they butt heads with how the offense is supposed to run? It wouldn't be the first time Rodgers had issues with a playcaller.
That drama can't just be swept under the rug. And, it's dangerous to assume things will be different just because he's playing for a coach that's widely respected by players throughout the league.
Tomlin will have his work cut out for him. The Steelers got rid of some fuel for drama by trading away George Pickens, but there should be some concern over how the locker room will react to adding a quarterback with known off-the-field issues this late in the process. But, not to take the words out right out of his mouth, that's why he's well-compensated.
No matter what the Steelers did at quarterback this offseason, the solution was bound to be temporary, even if they hadn't missed on re-signing Fields. With Rodgers, this is their home-run swing for the 2025 season. There's a reason why they were willing to wait this long for him to sign. They feel confident that the good will outweigh the potential distractions/issues.
There's a chance that we could see a similar scenario to when Brett Favre went to the Vikings or Peyton Manning went to the Broncos. Khan has added a couple of playmakers so far, which gives the offense much needed firepower. Maybe Rodgers still has enough in him to utilize those weapons.
But, there's also just as good of a chance this could be a gigantic -- and dramatic -- catastrophe.
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