Per Joe Clark of Steelers Depot, Pittsburgh Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette shared during a Thursday appearance on Pittsburgh sports radio station 93.7 The Fan that he is "99.9%" sure that current New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is "not going to be with the Steelers" this year.
The Athletic's Mike Jones touched upon the subject for a piece published Friday.
"The Steelers are a playoff team, and yes, they have a good defense, a talented wide receiver in George Pickens and a strong running back in pending free agent Najee Harris," Jones explained. "But this doesn’t feel like a fit. Stylistically, the Steelers and Rodgers clash. Rodgers still wants to sling the ball around and command the spotlight. (Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin) and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith like to lean on their defense, run the ball and take shots through the air here and there. Tomlin is also the undisputed alpha of the franchise, and Rodgers always challenges authority."
Smith and current Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson reportedly "did not have a very good working relationship" during the second half of the 2024 season, in part because "Wilson’s desire to attack with the pass and throw down the field clashed with Smith’s run-first mentality, causing philosophical friction between the two." There's no sign Tomlin will part ways with Smith this winter, and one would assume Tomlin would like those associated with the club's offense to be on the same page this coming September.
Meanwhile, the perception existed that Rodgers was in charge of the Jets' offense from Week 1 of the 2024 campaign at least until then-offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett lost his play-calling duties following Week 5. Additionally, Rodgers allegedly "supplied the Jets with a wish list of free agents" he wanted them to pursue back in the spring of 2023, and Gang Green reportedly wanted the 41-year-old to attend all training camp practices and stop his "Pat McAfee Show" appearances if he was serious about staying with the franchise this offseason.
Numerous individuals who cover the Steelers have publicly poured cold water over the idea of the team pursuing Rodgers even though Pittsburgh is seemingly in the market for "an outside quarterback." One wonders if Rodgers could sell his services to Tomlin for even one season, assuming the future Hall of Famer decides he wants to continue playing.
