The Pittsburgh Steelers are waiting on Aaron Rodgers. We're all waiting on Aaron Rodgers. The two parties have been linked for months now, and with the NFL Draft a week away, the Steelers still don't have an answer.
Pittsburgh signed Mason Rudolph as their fallback plan earlier this offseason. That was a smart decision, given the flaky nature of Rodgers and the Steelers familiarity with Rudolph. At worst, Rudolph is a decent enough stopgap quarterback who should be able to lead a Mike Tomlin-coached team to a few wins this season. Frankly, the Steelers could use a reset at the position rather than running it back with 9-8 teams every season, but that is neither here nor there.
Steelers have committed to Aaron Rodgers, but haven't heard back
As far as Tomlin is concerned, Rodgers is his guy. While the 41-year-old didn't reveal much in his interview with Pat McAfee. Basically, Rodgers is taking his time making a decision. He has an offer on the table from the Steelers, per reports, but he is not ready to commit to another team – the third of his NFL career – and is considering all his options, including retirement.
However, one thing Rodgers said during his interview was important to the Steelers pursuit, and has everything to do with his eventual contract were he to sign in Pittsburgh. Rodgers doesn't care about money at this point in his career. He's apparently told teams he'd play for $10 million per season. That is far below his market value, and would be helpful for a Steelers team with plenty of holes.
Aaron Rodgers contract revelation is great news for Steelers and TJ Watt
Beyond signing Rodgers, the Steelers need to ink their draft class and perhaps extend pass-rusher TJ Watt. Watt is on the wrong side of 30 at his position, but is still one of the best defensive players in the NFL. Watt could demand a trade out of Pittsburgh to force the Steelers hand. That worked for his counterpart in Cleveland, Myles Garrett, who receive a record-breaking extension of his own this offseason.
Watt likes to keep his plans close to the vest, though, unlike Garrett. Negotiating through the media would be unlike him, and it's far more lilely the Steelers are merely waiting on Rodgers decision before reaching out to Watt's representatives. Pittsburgh's cap situation is a good one. Yet, the offer Rodgers ultimately accepts or turns down will impact how much money they can give their star pass-rusher. It's food for thought.