The Pittsburgh Steelers are without a clear starting quarterback for the upcoming season, and the team has been eagerly awaiting a decision from veteran Aaron Rodgers regarding where and if he will sign. Although Rodgers has said that he isn't committed to any team, people within the Steelers organization, such as Art Rooney II, seem to be confident that Rodgers will come to Pittsburgh.
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Steelers Owner and Team President Art Rooney II.
However, Rodgers has kept the Steelers in suspense for months now, and with the start of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) approaching, it would seem that Rodgers would be incentivized to make up his mind soon. The Steelers have not set Rodgers a formal deadline, and there seems to be no answer from the quarterback coming in the near future.
Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger spoke on the matter and what the Steelers' attitude should be when it comes to waiting for a decision from Rodgers. The last anyone heard from Rodgers publicly was the quarterback's last appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. During that appearance, Rodgers cited commitments in his personal life as the main reason why he hadn't made a decision yet. On Tuesday, Roethlisberger spoke on his podcast, Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger, about the Steelers' difficulties signing Rodgers. Roethlisberger said that no one could really know what was going on with Rodgers, and that the Steelers organization, as well as fans, would be wise to let the 4x NFL MVP take his time making a decision.
"I'm not sure what the pulse of the fan base is, I'm sure there are some people who are still holding out hope and there are other people who are just like, 'Go. If he wanted to be here, he would have been here by now," said Roethlisberger. "He said on Pat's show that he has some personal issues he's working on. I have no idea what's going on, but let the man figure out what he needs to do and go from there."
Giving Rodgers more time to decide may not be the most popular answer to the Steelers' problems. However, at the end of the day, the Steelers are dealing with Rodgers, and that means unpredictability. Rodgers said in his last appearance on The Pat McAfee Show that he didn't want to hold any team hostage, and that teams should make roster moves without considering him. Despite this, the Steelers seem to be on Roethlisberger's side and are willing to give Rodgers all the time he needs to make a decision.
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Former New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks on before a home game during the 2024 season.
If Rodgers doesn't end up signing with the Steelers, it will be a bad look for the franchise. Although the Steelers would be wise to have a backup plan for if a deal with Rodgers falls through, the team currently has limited options to address the quarterback position.
The two most likely signal-callers to lead the team that are already on the Steelers' roster are veteran Mason Rudolph and rookie Will Howard. Rudolph was signed by the Steelers early in the offseason and was likely picked up as a contingency plan in the event that the Steelers couldn't sign anyone better to start. Rudolph already has experience with Pittsburgh, which could make him a promising backup plan. However, the Steelers allowed Rudolph to leave as a free agent after the 2023 season, meaning he clearly isn't the team's first choice.
Steelers Still Have More Questions Than Answers
The beginning of OTAs was thought to be a time that would push Rodgers to make up his mind, but as more offseason programs and training camp approaches, it poses other issues for the Steelers.
New York Jets
Aaron Rodgers practices with the New York Jets ahead of the 2024 season.
Without a clear starting quarterback, the Steelers will struggle to find cohesion on offense and make the most of weapons such as wide receiver DK Metcalf.
Do you think the Steelers should give Rodgers more time to make a decision? Do you think the Steelers need to give Rodgers a deadline? Let us know in the comments.
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