Just when it looked like the Pittsburgh Steelers were back in the driver's seat to land Aaron Rodgers, all their hopes could capsize. On Wednesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that the Minnesota Vikings are 'not pursuing' Rodgers at this time and are excited to move forward with J.J. McCarthy as their starting quarterback.
This was great news for the Steelers, as Rodgers was holding out hope of landing with Minnesota before making a decision. Now their patience with the 41-year-old quarterback could finally pay off.
Then again, maybe not.
Only hours after Pelissero's report about the Vikings being out on Rodgers, Pat McAfee spoke on his show on why retirement feels like a realistic option for Rodgers at this point.
"Honestly, the retirement thing... [is] a potential," McAfee said. "Once again, we have not talked to him. This is us just following all of the other stories... What if he loves the ability to hop on his plane because he's the highest-paid player in the history of the league, and just go on a trip somewhere and disappear for two months?"
McAfee admitted that he hadn't spoken to Rodgers since the news dropped this morning pertaining to the Vikings. He also noted that Rodgers is a tough book to read, and his decision is anyone's guess. But McAfee knows Rodgers very well, and the fact that he thinks the long-time quarterback could be on the cusp of retirement is telling.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will be left without a respectable quarterback option if Aaron Rodgers retires
We don't need to hit the panic button just yet. It's possible Rodgers could make up his mind soon and elect to join the Pittsburgh Steelers with the goal of restoring playoff success to The Steel City. However, if Rodgers retires, this team is in for quite the quarterback conundrum.
With only Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson on the roster, the Steelers will either need to throw money at a quarterback still on the market or select one in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The problem is both options are unspectacular.
The free-agent pool dried up during the NFL negotiation period when Sam Darnold agreed to terms with the Seahawks and Justin Fields joined the Jets. If Rodgers elects to retire, the Steelers could be forced to go back to Russell Wilson in 2025—despite how poorly things ended. Pittsburgh may not view available options like Jameis Winston or Joe Flacco higher better than what they already have in Rudolph.
The quarterback talent in the NFL Draft is equally as depressing. Miami's Cam Ward is expected to be off the board early, and if Shedeur Sanders doesn't slide in the draft, the Steelers could box themselves into a situation where they are selecting a quarterback like Jaxson Dart or Jalen Milroe much earlier than they should be taken.
Quite frankly, there won't be a respectable option for the Pittsburgh Steelers at quarterback if Aaron Rodgers retires at this point... and they're just going to have to live with it.