The Pittsburgh Steelers wrapped up their final OTA session on Thursday, and there was still no sign of Aaron Rodgers. The 41-year-old quarterback is not under contract with the team, thus, he has no obligation to be at the practice facility. However, arguments have been made that, if Rodgers plans to sign with the team, he should be there by now. It sounds like we may have gotten a major clue as to when this signing could take place.
Just when it felt like the Rodgers whispers were dying down, independent NFL writer and Insider John Frascella on X reported that the 'SlickRickScoops' account mentioned Rodgers will sign with the team just before Steelers training camp begins. This account, which goes by 'Ricky', has been right with some major NFL rumors in the past, but fans are still skeptical.
If we were to pull a date out of the hat, late July would be right up Aaron Rodgers' alley of a perfect time to show up and sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The long-time NFL quarterback has been vocal about his distaste for offseason programs, and nobody would put it past him to show up just before the start of Steelers training camp.
It sounds like when (not if) Aaron Rodgers will join the Pittsburgh Steelers
While it still doesn't sound like anyone knows the exact date Aaron Rodgers will show up and ink his contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the feel from the beginning seems to be that this will get done at some point. That hasn't changed.
National analysts and Steelers media members have predicted 'soft' deadlines by which Rodgers needed to show up, but most of these have already come and passed, yet the team is still interested. Many believed that the aging quarterback would need to make his decision prior to the 2025 NFL Draft, but team president Art Rooney II made it clear they will continue to wait 'a little while longer'.
Obviously, there has to be a breaking point—a point where Mike Tomlin or Omar Khan finally puts their foot down and says, 'we're moving on without him'. But desperate times call for desperate measures. The Steelers know that, even if Rodgers strolls into the facility in the final hour, he still gives them a better chance of winning in 2025 than Mason Rudolph (or any other quarterback on the roster, for that matter).
Rickey's prediction about Aaron Rodgers signing just before the start of training camp may come true. Who knows. If he's not with the Pittsburgh Steelers by June 10, when mandatory minicamp starts up, training camp is the next crucial date we'll have our eyes on.