Aaron Rodgers is stealing attention from Steelers rookies who actually earned it

The Aaron Rodgers saga is likely to come to an end, possibly as early as Sunday, when the 42-year-old signs a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Much like his predecessor before him in Green Bay, Brett Favre, Rodgers took his time for the second-straight offseason when deciding whether he'd prefer mediocrity or retirement.

All of that is annoying. The constant media coverage around a player who, quite frankly, doesn't move the needle much in the grand scheme of the AFC playoff race, is a lot to handle. As much as Rodgers claims he doesn't like the spotlight, it often finds him, even if that means stealing it from others.

Aaron Rodgers is stealing attention from Steelers rookie class

As rookie minicamp takes centerstage on the south side of Pittsburgh, Drew Allar is the only quarterback in attendance. This has given Allar some much-needed attention from head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterbacks coach Tom Arth. For example, Allar spent much of his weekend practice working on his footwork.

Second-round pick Germie Bernard formed a connection with Allar, a duo that could play a major role in the Steelers future. The same can't necessarily be said of seventh-round pick Eli Heidenreich, but the local product who played his high school football in Mt. Lebanon — just a couple miles south of Pittsburgh — got to live out his dream.

And all of that goes without mentioning first-round pick Max Iheanachor, who's expected to play right tackle, or the mullet himself Gennings Dunker from Iowa.

This is where our focus should be. There are so many storylines in this Steelers rookie class. Early May is a chance for Pittsburgh's coaching staff to hone in on them, find some teachable moments, and get excited for the future. Instead, the Steelers are stuck in neutral, wondering if their ancient quarterback wants to play for them in 2026.

Aaron Rodgers has been in Pittsburgh for days awaiting a new deal

So, now that Aaron has our attention — as he always seems to these days — what has he been up to? Per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Rodgers has been in town for a couple of days already. His agent has reportedly been speaking with the Steelers about a new contract — likely of the one-year variety — while Rodgers sits on the couch in his hotel room, or perhaps takes a nice walk around the city. Who knew?

For the few Steelers fans remaining who want Rodgers to be the starting quarterback in 2026, this is a good sign. For all his flaws, Rodgers is a willing teacher, and has a star pupil in Will Howard and a new, willing one in Allar. Rodgers return would be bad news for Mason Rudolph, who would almost immediately be placed on the trade block. The Steelers want to bring four quarterbacks to training camp, but not into the regular season. That's the standard around here.

But what's most infuriating about how Rodgers has conducted his business this offseason is that he could've had these conversations at any time. Heck, a phone call would've been fine. Why not a zoom between Rodgers, his agent and general manager Omar Khan? Did Rodgers literally have to be here as Steelers rookies got their moment in the sun just to steal that shine?

Again, as much as Rodgers claims to hate the spotlight, it sure finds him an awful lot.

More NFL news and analysis:

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow