Aaron Rodgers Joins the Steelers: A Long-Awaited Signing
After months of speculation, four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers will finally sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The news, revealed by sources, ends the uncertainty about his future and unites the future Hall of Famer with a team that urgently needed a quarterback.This agreement comes more than 80 days after the start of free agency and 70 days after Rodgers visited the Steelers. Rodgers is expected to fly to Pittsburgh on Friday and join the team before next week’s mandatory minicamp.
The possibility of Rodgers joining the Steelers arose from the first day of the free agent negotiation period in March, but the path for him to officially become a member of the organization was long.
Rodgers has been linked to the Steelers throughout the offseason, especially after Pittsburgh decided to let Russell Wilson and Justin Fields go as free agents. The Steelers didn’t select a quarterback in the early rounds of April’s draft and were preparing to begin their mandatory offseason program with Mason Rudolph as the starter.
Rodgers, 41, has been a free agent since his separation from the Jets earlier this offseason. The deal with Pittsburgh sets up a Week 1 matchup between Rodgers and the Jets, who will host the Steelers in their opening game.The Steelers never doubted that Rodgers would eventually sign with them.
Sources
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin played a significant role throughout the process and was a draw for Rodgers, according to sources, who added that Tomlin was happy to work within Rodgers’ schedule this offseason.
After visiting the team’s training facilities on March 21, Rodgers remained in communication with the Steelers while weighing decisions about his future for over two months.I wasn’t deceiving anyone. I wasn’t holding anyone hostage. I was honest from the beginning about where I was mentally and some of the limitations I have in my life right now that deserve my attention.
Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers was released by the Jets in March, a month after what he later described as a confrontational meeting with new coach Aaron Glenn and new general manager Darren Mougey.
Rodgers joined the Jets in 2023 after 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, where he won a Super Bowl after the 2010 season. After missing almost all of his first season with the Jets due to a torn Achilles tendon he suffered in his debut, Rodgers started every game last season, but his overall performance was inconsistent. He passed for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns, both third on the Jets’ single-season record list, but he also had 11 interceptions and finished with a QBR of 48.1, ranking 25th out of 32 qualified passers in the NFL.
The Jets didn’t meet expectations on offense in 2024, finishing 24th in scoring, and ended with a 5-12 record as one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season.Amid uncertainty about his future with the Jets, Rodgers met with Glenn and Mougey in New Jersey, where the veteran quarterback said he wasn’t shown “a sufficient amount of respect.”
Meanwhile, the Steelers added to their quarterback group while awaiting Rodgers’ decision, reuniting with Rudolph after the former third-round pick spent a season in Tennessee.
And although the organization maintained that Rodgers would not affect their draft plans, the team also avoided quarterbacks in the early rounds and waited until the sixth to select Ohio State quarterback Will Howard.
While the Steelers were building their roster and gathering at the training facilities on Pittsburgh’s South Side for the start of voluntary offseason workouts, Rodgers held a throwing session in California with new Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf, whom Pittsburgh acquired in a trade with the Seahawks on the eve of free agency.
Rodgers also attended a Kentucky Derby party and several Mike concerts. While answering questions during a concert stop, Rodgers was asked if he would ever play for the Bears. In his response, Rodgers strongly hinted at the outcome of his imminent decision.
No, but I think there’s a team that could play in Chicago, for a road trip, I don’t know.
Aaron Rodgers
The Steelers, of course, will visit the Bears in Week 12.
Rodgers also had an offer from the Giants, who ultimately withdrew from the running when they signed Wilson to a one-year, $10.5 million contract on March 25.
Rodgers also held conversations with the Vikings, but Minnesota has remained committed to keeping J.J. McCarthy, the 2024 first-round pick, on track to be the starting quarterback.The news of the Rodgers-Steelers deal improved Pittsburgh’s odds in the betting market. The Steelers’ odds to win the AFC North moved from +550 to +500 on Thursday, and their odds to make the playoffs also moved from +150 to +140.
The Steelers also moved to a 3-point favorite in their season opener against the Jets after being favored by 2.5 before the Rodgers news.
