Today marks the start of the free agency negotiation period when teams and players can discuss deals and come to terms on contract language. The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming fresh off a trade for Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf. Unfortunately, they still don't have their quarterback situation figured out.
Since the end of the 2024 postseason, both Art Rooney II and Omar Khan insisted that the Steelers would like to get Justin Fields or Russell Wilson under contract for 2025, but both players fell short last season.
Now a new candidate could swoop in and steal the QB job... and he's sure to be met with controversy.
On Monday morning, just hours before the start of the NFL's legal tampering period, NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported that Aaron Rodgers has emerged as a quarterback option for the Pittsburgh Steelers and that the two sides are expected to talk and explore a union today.
Rodgers, 41, is coming off an underwhelming season with the New York Jets. Despite racking up 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions to go with 3,897 passing yards, the long-time quarterback led his team to an embarrassing 5-12 record while failing to compete against good teams.
Pittsburgh Steelers should save Aaron Rodgers as a last resort
Everyone knows that signing Rodgers would be accompanied by an influx of unwanted media attention, and many would argue that they don't want him in the locker room. But the Steelers are on an eight-year drought without a playoff win, and they could turn to Rodgers to get them over the hump.
The former MVP quarterback will turn 42 years old late in the 2025 season, so fans have the right to question how much gas is left in the tank. At the same time, we've seen what this offense looked like with both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, and neither quarterback was good enough to get the job done last season.
The hope is that, on a better organization, Rodgers could have a resurgence and look more like the quarterback we saw late in his career with the Green Bay Packers. This is wishful thinking, but the options are thin.
Outside of Sam Darnold—who is expected to be the highest-paid quarterback in free agency—you could argue that Aaron Rodgers gives the Pittsburgh Steelers the best chance to compete this year out of all of the available names. It's not ideal, but Rodgers is on the table as an option, and this free-agent signing could get done as early as today if Pittsburgh goes this route.