This is an evergreen topic each year. What will Aaron Rodgers decide to do? At least, this year, we are hearing a lot of sources predict Rodgers to inform the Pittsburgh Steelers of his decision a little earlier than past year.
Most notably, we recently heard Adam Schefter say somewhere around mid-March. In the case that the Steelers want to plan ahead, though, there are some other options.
One of those options is San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones, who figures to be a trade commodity over the coming weeks. In a recent column, CBS Sports' Tyler Sullivan had the Steelers as a possible landing spot for Jones.
In his article, Sullivan made the trade pretty simple: Steelers offer the 49ers a 2026 second-round pick (no. 53 overall). Now, a second-round pick is a pretty penny. But, Jones could be more than just a stopgap.
A Pittsburgh Steelers-Mac Jones trade tells Aaron Rodgers he is close to being an afterthought
This is an interesting proposal, because of the fact that Jones is entering the final season of his initial two-year contract with the 49ers. So, the Steelers wouldn't give up a second rounder for just a backup.
And, let's be honest. The Steelers have winning aspirations. They were a playoff team last year and still have plenty of talent on this roster. Does Rodgers make them all that much better?
I might even argue that Jones is the better option. He showed last year, under Kyle Shanahan, that he can flourish under a coach who prioritizes their quarterback, and that's exactly what Mike McCarthy has been known to do.
Jones stepped in for an injured Brock Purdy and went 5-3, throwing 13 touchdowns and six interceptions while working with almost nothing in his wide receiver room at times. He could very well be the next Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold type, and McCarthy would be a strong coach for his continued development.
But, would they do it?
If the Steelers pulled off a trade for any quarterback by giving up a second-round pick, that immediately tells Rodgers that he is an afterthought. Now, I don't think the Steelers actually do something like that, because of the implications with Rodgers.
They've committed to Rodgers at this point, should he want to play. The last thing Pittsburgh would do is trade for another quarterback before he made his decision.
But, if we get to a day or two before free agency starts and Rodgers still hasn't made his decision, the noise is only going to grow louder around another possible quarterback option.