During NFL owners' meetings this week, Art Rooney II seemed to be stuck on repeat when he said the Pittsburgh Steelers would wait 'a little while longer' for Aaron Rodgers to make his decision. While this response—and Rodgers' unwillingness to commit—infuriates fans, veteran edge rusher Alex Highsmith doesn't have an issue with it.
Highsmith spoke to NFL Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo on Thursday when he insisted that he doesn't view Rodgers as a distraction to the Steelers.
"I get asked a lot [about Aaron Rodgers] by my peers and some friends who are fans and stuff like that," Highsmith told Rapoport and Garafolo. "I just feel like, in the locker room, we're in there working, and I think that's just really what it's about at this point. I know that if he does sign, we're definitely going to be really excited to have him. We know who he is. He's a Hall of Fame quarterback. He's one of the best to ever do it."
Like it or not, this was the perfect veteran response from a veteran leader. The last thing you'd want to see is Highsmith bashing Rodgers, only to have him show up in a Steelers uniform this summer.
Alex Highsmith knows Aaron Rodgers gives the Pittsburgh Steelers their best shot to compete in 2025
Alex Highsmith will never be one to come out and say that their current quarterback room is underwhelming, but we can assume the players all know this to be true. Mason Rudolph went 1-4 as a starter with the Titans last season while throwing nine touchdowns and as many interceptions. Though Rudolph has been a capable backup throughout his career, it's going to take more than that to get the job done in a crowded AFC.
As annoying as it might be, Steelers players—Highsmith included—know that this team's best hope of competing in the 2025 season is if Aaron Rodgers is under center. Sure, they would have loved for him to have signed with the team months ago, but better late than never.
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Even in his old age (Rodgers will turn 42 late in the 2025 season), the future Hall of Famer showed last season with the New York Jets that he still has accuracy, touch, and enough velocity to drive the ball down the field. With a better organization in Pittsburgh, Rodgers could at least give Pittsburgh a shot at cracking the playoffs, and who knows, maybe they could make a splash in the postseason.
Eventually, the Pittsburgh Steelers will need to set their sights on the future and find their next franchise quarterback. But with a 36-year-old Cam Heyward and a soon-to-be 31-year-old T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and the veterans on this team know Aaron Rodgers still gives them the best chance to compete in the present.