It’s no secret that wherever Aaron Rodgers goes, he’s bringing friends with him. Considering the worst-kept secret in football is that Rodgers will sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, fans have taken note of who may follow him.
The Steelers have been linked to Allen Lazard in the past, though the story fizzled out. Randall Cobb and Davante Adams are off the table, the former retired last year and the latter signed with the Los Angeles Rams. That leaves just one option, the oldest non-quarterback in the league, tight end Marcedes Lewis.
Lewis, 41, is the oldest active player in the NFL other than Rodgers. The duo played together in Green Bay from 2018 to 2022, and CBS Sports indicated that they may reunite for one last run in Pittsburgh.
"It's always been something A-Rod would bring up, even when we were in Green Bay. He was like, 'Hey, we got to retire together,'" Lewis said on the Up and Adams Show, via CBS Sports.
Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster lacks familiar faces for Rodgers — for now
Of course, if (when) Rodgers signs with Pittsburgh, it’ll likely be his last stop in the NFL (barring a one-day contract with the Packers). The Steelers don’t currently employ anyone of significant note who has played with Rodgers, and outside of the Lazard blip, don’t seem intent on doing so.
Lewis said in the same interview that he and Rodgers hadn’t discussed joining Pittsburgh together personally. Based on that response, Pittsburgh presumably hasn’t reached out ahead of time either.
Still, it wouldn’t be surprising if Pittsburgh honored the request if Rodgers presented the idea. While Lewis is far from a Jonnu Smith or Kyle Pitts type, the team has been shopping for tight ends.
While Pittsburgh already has a solid blocking tight end option in Darnell Washington, Lewis would assist plenty in the running game and provide another veteran voice on a fairly young offense. Plus, he'd be a small-volume red zone option, if only for the chance at one final touchdown.
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Regardless, as Lewis pointed out, vets like him and Rodgers like to play with teammates and coaches they are familiar with. Right now, Pittsburgh doesn’t have anybody like that for Rodgers on the roster or staff. It’d be a simple gesture, but one that would certainly fall in line with what fans would expect from Rodgers and one that the Hall of Fame-bound quarterback would no doubt appreciate.