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Free agent veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers still hasn't made up his mind about a future in the NFL.
Rather than be kept waiting for an answer that may take a while, the Pittsburgh Steelers need to just let him go and move on to find their 2025 quarterback elsewhere if Rodgers doesn't make a decision by next week's NFL Draft.
The Steelers have seemingly been waiting all offseason for Rodgers to choose his next step, and it's entirely possible the former Green Bay Packers and New York Jets quarterback decides to head to Pittsburgh after all.
However, him deciding to retire basically leaves Pittsburgh with career backup Mason Rudolph as its starter unless it wants to throw a dart ( ... a Jaxson Dart) at a rookie in this year's underwhelming NFL Draft class or perhaps trade for Atlanta Falcons backup quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Rodgers is certainly an enigma unto himself, but Pittsburgh clearly isn't concerned with the media circus he brings to town to wait this long for him. The franchise must think he's still got more than enough in the tank to play well on the field, but Rodgers doesn't sound like he's in a hurry to make any sort of decision ... or even all that concerned if Pittsburgh goes in a different direction.
On Thursday's Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers basically said as much while adding that he's kept in communication with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin throughout the process.
Hypothetically, Rodgers is right. He doesn't owe Pittsburgh an answer since it's his career to make decisions with right now. However, Pittsburgh really needs to think seriously about the downsides of waiting on Rodgers to finally make his decision and what happens if retirement is ultimately the play.
If you're the Steelers, how long can you really wait to make a move? Next week's 2025 NFL Draft is probably the best time for Pittsburgh to make a decision on who it wants to bring in at the most important position on the roster.
Come to think of it, why has Pittsburgh chosen this path to find a new quarterback in the first place? The options for the Steelers aren't incredible right now at the position, and waiting this long to find a guy may come back to haunt them.
Rodgers is 41, Cousins has very recent injury history to consider and will cost a draft pick, the rookie quarterbacks after Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders don't really inspire a lot of confidence for immediate success and the remaining quarterback free agents include guys like Carson Wentz, Tyler Huntley and Easton Stick.
Some might argue Sanders could be the plan all along. With how the draft is shaping up, is the Colorado quarterback even a plausible option for Pittsburgh at No. 21 (or even in the range of a possible trade up) right now?
The Steelers have seemingly put a lot of weight on Rodgers deciding to play for the franchise this season, and the team must feel pretty confident in its Plan B (which could consist of Rudolph, Cousins, another free agent or a draft pick) if Rodgers decides to retire.
If you're a Pittsburgh fan, Rodgers is still the best-case scenario out of some pretty uninspiring scenarios. Him deciding to hang up his pads and cleats after all this waiting puts a ton of pressure on a Plan B to work out.
There is a grander conversation to be had about how the Steelers have struggled to find a long-term quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired, and if the team's reliable floor is enough to justify its continual lack of a meaningful ceiling. Those will not be easy discussions to have after 2025 if the team can't get past its typical threshold, but right now, they just need to figure out who QB1 is.
The Steelers need clarity from Rodgers or need to give themselves that clarity around the 2025 NFL Draft. The clock is ticking for everyone involved in this dangerous waiting game, and Pittsburgh stands to lose the most when time runs out.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: The Steelers are playing a dangerous game by waiting on Aaron Rodgers
Continue reading...
Rather than be kept waiting for an answer that may take a while, the Pittsburgh Steelers need to just let him go and move on to find their 2025 quarterback elsewhere if Rodgers doesn't make a decision by next week's NFL Draft.
The Steelers have seemingly been waiting all offseason for Rodgers to choose his next step, and it's entirely possible the former Green Bay Packers and New York Jets quarterback decides to head to Pittsburgh after all.
However, him deciding to retire basically leaves Pittsburgh with career backup Mason Rudolph as its starter unless it wants to throw a dart ( ... a Jaxson Dart) at a rookie in this year's underwhelming NFL Draft class or perhaps trade for Atlanta Falcons backup quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Rodgers is certainly an enigma unto himself, but Pittsburgh clearly isn't concerned with the media circus he brings to town to wait this long for him. The franchise must think he's still got more than enough in the tank to play well on the field, but Rodgers doesn't sound like he's in a hurry to make any sort of decision ... or even all that concerned if Pittsburgh goes in a different direction.
On Thursday's Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers basically said as much while adding that he's kept in communication with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin throughout the process.
Hypothetically, Rodgers is right. He doesn't owe Pittsburgh an answer since it's his career to make decisions with right now. However, Pittsburgh really needs to think seriously about the downsides of waiting on Rodgers to finally make his decision and what happens if retirement is ultimately the play.
If you're the Steelers, how long can you really wait to make a move? Next week's 2025 NFL Draft is probably the best time for Pittsburgh to make a decision on who it wants to bring in at the most important position on the roster.
Come to think of it, why has Pittsburgh chosen this path to find a new quarterback in the first place? The options for the Steelers aren't incredible right now at the position, and waiting this long to find a guy may come back to haunt them.
Rodgers is 41, Cousins has very recent injury history to consider and will cost a draft pick, the rookie quarterbacks after Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders don't really inspire a lot of confidence for immediate success and the remaining quarterback free agents include guys like Carson Wentz, Tyler Huntley and Easton Stick.
Some might argue Sanders could be the plan all along. With how the draft is shaping up, is the Colorado quarterback even a plausible option for Pittsburgh at No. 21 (or even in the range of a possible trade up) right now?
The Steelers have seemingly put a lot of weight on Rodgers deciding to play for the franchise this season, and the team must feel pretty confident in its Plan B (which could consist of Rudolph, Cousins, another free agent or a draft pick) if Rodgers decides to retire.
If you're a Pittsburgh fan, Rodgers is still the best-case scenario out of some pretty uninspiring scenarios. Him deciding to hang up his pads and cleats after all this waiting puts a ton of pressure on a Plan B to work out.
There is a grander conversation to be had about how the Steelers have struggled to find a long-term quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired, and if the team's reliable floor is enough to justify its continual lack of a meaningful ceiling. Those will not be easy discussions to have after 2025 if the team can't get past its typical threshold, but right now, they just need to figure out who QB1 is.
The Steelers need clarity from Rodgers or need to give themselves that clarity around the 2025 NFL Draft. The clock is ticking for everyone involved in this dangerous waiting game, and Pittsburgh stands to lose the most when time runs out.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: The Steelers are playing a dangerous game by waiting on Aaron Rodgers
Continue reading...
