After months of speculation in what turned out to be the most pathetic “will they, won’t they” story in the NFL, Aaron Rodgers informed the Pittsburgh Steelers that he would be signing with them. For at least the 2025 season, Pittsburgh has its starting quarterback.
Fans should feel queasy about this.
This saga was about as bad of a look as you could get. With the Steelers missing out on their top two targets early in free agency, Rodgers became the de facto last option for the team, and he willingly dragged this out far longer than anyone should have wanted.
While the deal is done, fans shouldn’t be jumping for joy about it. Rodgers isn’t exactly playing elite football at his age, and the drama he has brought to the team already is nauseating. Add in how far along the team is, and this signing puts a bad taste in the mouth of fans.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were too desperate for Aaron Rodgers
Everything about this signing feels gross. From how long it took to get a deal done to how the actual signing is being reported (Rodgers informed the team has such a cocky tone to it). While we don’t know the financials yet, if it is much more than the 10 million dollars that Rodgers said he would sign for, that will only add to the disappointment.
You, ideally, want your quarterback to be all in. Not signing until this late to avoid team obligations doesn’t scream “I want to be in Pittsburgh,” which is a shame, considering how this franchise has prided itself on being a top destination for free agents.
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Beyond just Rodgers himself, you have to feel bad for Mason Rudolph. He was doing and saying all of the right things, and all reports coming out of OTAs were positive with him being featured as the starting quarterback.
The team was seemingly rallying around him. Now they will have to pivot to a controversial option in Rodgers. It isn’t ideal, and I believe it will ultimately be a mistake.
Does this impact the Steelers' odds of making a run this season? Not at all. Instead, they are in a slightly better position to win 9-10 games and maybe squeak into the playoffs. All of this to cater to Rodgers seems gross.
Time will tell if Pittsburgh got this move right, but cutting Rudolph’s legs from under him while adding such a controversial figure in Rodgers feels wrong. This move screams desperation, and I can’t see it working out for the Steelers.