Behind the Steel Curtain
Tomlin spoke to the media Sunday at the NFL owners meeting.
Weeks into the 2025 NFL free agency period, the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to wait on the status of veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. HC Mike Tomlin confirmed as much during a press conference at the NFL owners meeting Sunday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN reported, stating that the organization has “no definitive update or timeline” on Rodgers’ status or potential signing.
The update (or lack thereof) comes just over a week out from Rodgers’ visit at the Steelers’ facility, having met with Tomlin, as well as GM Omar Khan and Steelers President Art Rooney II. On their visit, Tomlin stated, “He spent a day with us, man, and it was a really good day. Specifically, he and I, obviously, have known of each other for some time. And so, it was really good to spend some time together, man, and get to know each other more intimately,” as Nick Farabaugh of Penn Live shared.
Regardless of how well the visit went, there’s still the very real question of whether or not Rodgers wants to continue playing professional football. Speaking on an appearance with ESPN Milwaukee, NFL insider Adam Schefter shared that he is “hearing he may not want to play.”
At age 41 and just under two years out from a season-ending Achilles injury, the idea that Rodgers wouldn’t be sold on another season doesn’t seem all that shocking. He went 5-12 (.294) starting for the New York Jets in the 2024 NFL season — the worst win/loss record of his career as a starter, throwing for 3,987 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Currently a free agent for the first time in his NFL career, the market for Rodgers has dried up quickly, with most teams in need of a quarterback having addressed the position, at least on a surface level, through the free agency period. Schefter noted in his appearance with ESPN Milwaukee that Rodgers and the Steelers “both need each other right now,” meaning that the Steelers are out of viable options, and so is Rodgers, quite frankly.
If the Steelers don’t find another answer at quarterback, it’s looking more likely that the team could consider starting veteran Mason Rudolph — their former third-round selection out of the 2019 NFL Draft class. After a one-year stint with the Tennessee Titans, Rudolph returned to Pittsburgh to sign a two-year deal worth $8 million. His claim to fame in Pittsburgh is his three-game winning streak that closed out the 2023 regular season as the third-string QB behind Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky. Rudolph’s efforts helped lead the black and gold on a trip to the Wild Card Round, where the Steelers lost to the Buffalo Bills (31-17) on the road.
Tomlin acknowledged that there’s no hard internal deadline that he’s aware of when it comes to pulling the plug on an offer for Rodgers, nor is the team overly concerned if the team doesn’t add another veteran at quarterback....
