Numerous reporters have suggested throughout the spring that quarterback Aaron Rodgers hasn't yet signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers because he truly wants to join the Minnesota Vikings.
During a Thursday appearance on FS1's "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" program, NFL insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic shared a different theory about why Rodgers began the first Friday of April as an unsigned free agent.
"Financials are always part of it," Russini said about Rodgers' situation, per Jake Brockhoff of Steelers Depot. "He does not need to sign and take some cheap deal. He knows the Steelers need him. Do I think he was going to be willing to take less to play for a team that he thinks is a Super-Bowl-caliber team like the Minnesota Vikings? Absolutely. But I think this situation is different. There's gonna be a number here that's gonna make Aaron happy. And I just don't know if Pittsburgh is there yet."
It was previously reported that the New York Giants offered Rodgers more money than the Steelers before the Giants signed both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. While Steelers owner and president Art Rooney II sounded confident during this week's NFL owners meetings that his team will eventually have Rodgers as its QB1 this spring, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah not slamming the door shut on possibly signing the 41-year-old continues to raise eyebrows.
2024 first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy is set to begin springtime workouts on April 21 atop Minnesota's depth chart coming off the full meniscus repair that sidelined him for his entire rookie season. How McCarthy looks through the end of mandatory minicamp could impact whether or not Adofo-Mensah reaches out to Rodgers if the future Hall of Famer remains available through the middle of June.
"When you talk to people from Pittsburgh," Russini continued, "they really give you the sense that this is all gonna work out. We're fine. You heard (head coach) Mike Tomlin. 'I'm not panicked.' He's having the direct communication with Rodgers. And I believe Rodgers is telling him, 'We'll get there.'"
That's all well and good, but the Steelers may feel they need to "get there" sooner rather than later since they currently have longtime backup Mason Rudolph on track to serve as their Week 1 starter.
In short, Pittsburgh is all-in on Rodgers to the point that the club should meet his asking price if money truly is the biggest reason he hasn't put pen to paper on a deal as of Friday morning.
