The Pittsburgh Steelers still haven’t heard back from free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers, now three weeks since the 41-year-old visited the organization.
Rodgers has been Pittsburgh’s Plan A, but the risk rooted in expressing interest in the four-time league MVP has come to life. The Steelers have desperately waited by their phone lines for a response from Rodgers, all while the quarterback market has dwindled, giving Rodgers all the leverage. Justin Fields and Russell Wilson — last season’s Pittsburgh starters — are officially gone, and with an unexpected quarterback-related development brewing, a new factor has introduced itself.
According to former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, it’s a factor that could easily swoop in and derail Pittsburgh’s plans.
“We learned that Derek Carr has a shoulder injury and may miss the whole season,” Roethlisberger said on his “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger” podcast. “I’m not going to confirm or deny that’s the quarterback I was talking about, but it’s kind of unique. That’s a new door that’s opened up in the (Rodgers sweepstakes). Everyone was talking about, ‘It’s Minnesota, Minnesota,’ we thought that door kind of closed — it’s Pittsburgh, it’s retirement — it’s maybe wait till the season gets going when you lose a potential quarterback on a team that is a contender. Then it’s up to Aaron — do they want Aaron? Would Aaron want to go there? There’s still a lot of questions, but it’s still interesting that that is there.”
Pittsburgh has worked to make itself a desirable landing spot, most notably by swinging a blockbuster trade to acquire star wideout DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks. Soon after, Rodgers and Metcalf were spotted at UCLA, where the two worked out together, which only further amplified the optimism in favor of the Steelers. Yet, since that video surfaced two weeks ago, it’s been nothing but cricket chirps from Rodgers’ end.
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It’s an approach that is on-brand with Rodgers and everything he’s become since departing from the Green Bay Packers two years ago, but it’s also one that doesn’t rub everyone the right way — or even most people. Former Steelers safety Ryan Clark and current team captain Cam Heyward are among those who’ve expressed their displeasure and annoyance with the forced wait game Pittsburgh has been playing in hopes of a response from Rodgers.
The possibility that Rodgers suits up and joins head coach Mike Tomlin next season isn’t dead yet, however, it might soon be time for the franchise to cut its losses and move on.
More Steelers: Ex-Steelers Safety Feels ‘Sick’ With Aaron Rodgers Waiting Game
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