Aaron Rodgers is in the habit of making teams bend to his whims. When he publicly scolded the Green Bay Packers, the storied franchise silently accepted the verbal lashing. One year later, the New York Jets’ brass took coast-to-coast flights to plead for his acceptance. There was even a time when Rodgers was able to dominant the offseason, holding up any other quarterback in free agency as front offices waited to hear his decision.
At the time, Rodgers’ behavior was swept under the rug because of his arm talent. The four-time MVP was a naturally gifted passer with game-changing ability. Whether or not Rodgers knows it, those days are long gone.
Today, his performance on the field is often overshadowed by his controversial — and often hypocritical — behavior. Even the Jets don’t want to be associated with the 41-year-old veteran any longer. Rodgers was released this offseason despite having one of the best statistical seasons by a quarterback in franchise history.
Aaron Rodgers met with the Steelers but left without a deal
The Pittsburgh Steelers met with Rodgers for roughly six hours at their training facility on Friday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It was a positive visit and the two sides are expected to “stay in touch,” but Rodgers ultimately left without a deal.
As Rodgers drags his feet through his first foray into free agency, several teams have found themselves stuck in limbo. In the past, teams would have gone above and beyond to recruit the future Hall of Fame quarterback. This time, patience is running thin and interest has been limited. Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward recently dismissed the idea of participating in Rodgers’ darkness retreats.
“I don't need any of that crap,” Heyward said. “Either you want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler or you don't. It's that simple — that's the pitch.”
Rodgers reportedly preferred to sign with the Minnesota Vikings, but they appear to have wisely rejected his inquiries. Instead, Rodgers has entertained interest from the Steelers and New York Giants, who both lack a quality starting quarterback.
Although Mason Rudolph is the only quarterback under contract in Pittsburgh, Heyward said there would be “no skin off [his] back” if Rodgers elected to sign elsewhere and that he’s “tired of talking about the quarterback situation.”
The Steelers have had a carousel of quarterbacks since the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger. So far, none of them have managed to find any postseason success. The Steelers have lost five straight playoff games since making it to the AFC Championship Game in 2017.
Now seven years removed from their last playoff victory, the Steelers fanbase is growing impatient for progress. Another disappointing season could put Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin in danger of losing his title as the longest-tenured coach in the league. Although he’s never led the Steelers to a losing season during his 18 seasons with the team, he’s fallen to an 8-11 record (.421) in the postseason.
If the Steelers hope to advance past the wild card round, they’ll need to find a quarterback sooner rather than later.