After months of waiting to see who would take the reigns as the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it looks like we finally have our answer. Less than an hour after the NFL free agency negotiation period opened up, Steelers Insider Gerry Dulac reported that the Steelers are 'getting close' to signing New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
This comes as a bit of a surprise, as Rodgers to the Steelers initially felt like a long shot. Throughout the process, Steelers team president Art Rooney II and general manager Omar Khan insisted they wanted to get either Justin Fields or Russell Wilson under contract for the 2025 season.
Instead, it looks like Rodgers will come out on top after rumors started to heat up on Monday morning in connection to Pittsburgh. The polarizing quarterback is coming off a down season with the Jets in which he recorded 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while leading his team to a disappointing 5-12 record.
Now Rodgers, 41, will look to end his legendary career on a high note with the Steelers.
Like it or not, Aaron Rodgers is a respectable outcome for the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency
Aaron Rodgers has trouble staying out of the spotlight for the wrong reasons, and his personality rubs some folks the wrong way. But if the Pittsburgh Steelers are looking for a stop-gap quarterback who can help bring playoff success back to this team, they could do far worse.
Despite his age, Rodgers still has enough arm talent to make every NFL throw. On a better organization, he could show signs of life in 2025. The former MVP quarterback also has an unmatched resume to go with his next-level confidence.
Running it back with Russell Wilson or Justin Fields would have been a futile effort. Neither quarterback was good enough to get the job done the first time around in 2024, so most fans understood the need for change.
While Sam Darnold was the top choice on the market, Rodgers might be the next best of the group—especially for a team with a primary goal of snapping an eight-year playoff drought.
Just like Pittsburgh's experiment with Wilson and Fields, there's no guarantee that streaming a veteran quarterback is going to work out. However, the Steelers at least covered their bases with a player who was once the best in the game. Rodgers will turn 42 years old during the 2025 season, and we'll soon find out if the future Hall of Fame quarterback has anything left in the tank.