Will the Aaron Rodgers sweepstakes ever end? The NFL's legal tampering period began over a week ago as of this writing. Virtually all of the high-end free agents are off the board, with Rodgers as the lone exception.
The 42-year-old doesn't have much interest in the open market, but three teams have been linked fairly heavily to him: the Pittsburgh Steelers, the New York Giants, and the Minnesota Vikings.
But now, all of a sudden, Rodgers' already small list of suitors is dwindling. The Vikings pulled themselves out, and if we're being honest, that fit never made much sense to begin with, as J.J. McCarthy should be ready to take over under center in Minnesota. The Giants aren't officially out, but with the team already signing Jameis Winston to a one-year deal on Friday, it's hard to envision New York signing Rodgers at this point, with them needing to draft a younger option. There's also a real chance Rodgers isn't interested in signing there anyway.
That leaves the Steelers and just the Steelers. With that in mind, Rodgers has no reason to continue delaying the inevitable.
Aaron Rodgers is officially out of reasons to delay inevitable Steelers signing
Again, the list of potential suitors wasn't long to begin with. Given that fact, Rodgers should've had an idea of where he wanted to be relatively quickly. The fact that two of the three teams he was connected to are now almost certainly no longer interested should make the decision a no-brainer.
Everyone knowing this is inevitable has made Rodgers delaying it incredibly frustrating. Even Steelers star defensive lineman Cameron Heyward called Rodgers out for taking as long as he has, saying: "Either you want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler or you don't. It's that simple -- that's the pitch."
Continuing to delay this decision will only make an already annoying situation that much worse for Rodgers. His potential teammates are fed up, and the organization may be as well. The longer he takes, the more likely it is that the team will consider going in another direction. Rodgers is the most talented option left, but that doesn't mean he's the best fit left. The Jets moved on from him even after he put together one of the best statistical seasons a quarterback has ever had for that franchise.
Rodgers has had his moment in the spotlight. At this point, with the Vikings out and the Giants pivoting elsewhere, it's time for Rodgers to make the decision everyone knows he's going to make. Prolonging the process at this point can only hurt him.