The Steelers aren’t any closer to seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in their pursuit of Aaron Rodgers.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Thursday the organization is “in the dark right now” regarding the 41-year-old quarterback’s plans, even after parties met last Friday in Pittsburgh.
“Well, the Pittsburgh Steelers know what it’s like to be Aaron Rodgers because they’re in the dark right now about what he’s going to do,” Schefter said on “Get Up.”
“And there are a lot of people around the league who wonder if Aaron Rodgers is even going to play. We have not heard from Aaron Rodgers himself to know one way or another.”
Rodgers drew heavy interest from the Steelers following his two-season stint with the Jets.
Although the Giants had their hat in the race, they officially moved on Tuesday by agreeing to a one-year deal with former Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson that could be worth $21 million in incentives.
The Super Bowl-winning quarterback arrived at the Giants’ facility in New Jersey on Wednesday with his wife, Ciara. The couple later received a warm welcome at Madison Square Garden, where they sat courtside during the Knicks’ loss to the Clippers.
In addition to Wilson, who played in 12 games for Pittsburgh, including their wild-card playoff loss to the Ravens in January, the Steelers saw quarterback Justin Fields go to the Jets in free agency on a two-year, $40 million deal.
Although the Steelers added a familiar face in backup quarterback Mason Rudolph this offseason, Rodgers is still the top target.
“What we do know is that the Pittsburgh Steelers have been interested in Aaron Rodgers for weeks now, and for weeks they have not gotten any clarity from him,” Schefter said before providing additional context to last week’s meeting.
“The two sides met on Friday for about six hours. He met with their coaches. The two sides talked about what it would be like to work together. But there still is no answer about what Aaron Rodgers wants to do.”
The four-time league MVP is coming off a disappointing 5-12 season with the Jets, a team that acquired him in a 2023 blockbuster trade and fell far short of expectations.
Despite putting up solid numbers in 2024 (28 touchdowns against 11 interceptions), pressing pause on a Hall of Fame career cannot be ruled out either, Schefter cautioned.
“There are people who believe that he may not play this year,” the NFL insider said. “There are people who believe he’s waiting to see if something might open down the line in Minnesota with the Vikings. But nobody knows for sure what Aaron Rodgers’ gameplan is, and for the time being… the Steelers are in the dark.”
The Vikings were loosely linked to Rodgers this offseason, but Minnesota brass opted to move forward with J.J. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in last year’s draft, who missed his rookie season while recouping from knee surgery.
That said, the team has not closed the door on future talks with Rodgers.
“For me to sit here and say that anything’s 100 percent forever, that’s just not the job,” general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said this week, per ESPN. “We’re responding to scenarios and different information as it comes. So obviously things can change, but right now we’re really happy with our [quarterback] room and we’re going to look to upgrade it in different ways.”
The Vikings are coming off a 14-win season orchestrated by a re-vamped Sam Darnold, now with the Seahawks.
