Insiders around the league said it was coming. The day is finally here. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is officially signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Rodgers has “informed” the Steelers he will arrive in Pittsburgh on Friday. The quarterback intends to sign a contract and then be at the team’s mandatory minicamp, which begins on June 10.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Rodgers will sign a one-year deal.
Renegade A-Rod: Four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers informed the #Steelers he’ll fly to Pittsburgh on Friday and sign before next week’s minicamp, sources tell The Insiders.
Finally, a done deal: Rodgers, 41, will play his 21st NFL season in black and gold.
🚨 🚨 🚨
Aaron Rodgers plans to sign with the #Steelers, per The Insiders.
It’ll be a 1-year deal. At long last, the four-time MVP lands in his best spot.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reported on March 12 the Steelers had an offer on the table for Rodgers. Dulac tweeted, though, that Rodgers was “taking his old ol’ time about making a decision.”
Even still, no one in the middle of March expected Rodgers to take more than 12 weeks to make a decision. The last three months have been filled with near constant updates about when and if Rodgers would sign and why it was taking so long.
Rodgers spoke publicly about the possibility of signing with the Steelers just a few times during the saga. On April 17, he told ESPN’s Pat McAfee on his show that people in his inner circle were dealing with personal issues that had his focus this offseason.
On May 21, Rodgers mentioned on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast people close to him have cancer.
Regardless of the reasoning for the delay, the Steelers patience has paid off. Rodgers is coming to Pittsburgh to be QB1 for a season.
Aaron Rodgers Set to Sign With Steelers: Report
The long wait is over for Pittsburgh. It has to be at least a bit of a relief for the Steelers, who have repeatedly stressed this offseason that Rodgers was going to sign.
But until Thursday, more waiting always followed any reassurance from the Steelers organization.
“I don’t know that we’ve approached it from a deadline perspective,” Tomlin told reporters at the NFL’s spring meetings on March 30. “Certainly, as I mentioned, you’d like to have settled circumstances, but deadlines don’t often bring that to a head.”
Steelers president Art Rooney II used vague phrasing like “soon” and “a little while longer” when talking about Rodgers signing this spring.
“We’re still kind of getting the same signals we’ve been getting recently that he does want to come here,” Rooney said during NFL Draft weekend on April 25. “I do think we may get word soon.
On May 22, Rooney told reporters, via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the team would wait “a little while longer” for Rodgers. The team president uttered the same words on April 1.
But barring a change of heart from Rodgers at the very last minute, he appears set to sign a contract with the Steelers.
Steelers QB Depth Chart With Rodgers
One of the biggest criticisms of the Steelers this offseason has been their quarterback depth. While Rodgers isn’t an MVP-type signal-caller anymore, with the signing, the Steelers are adding the best available quarterback on the market to the top of their depth chart.
That’s going to immensely help the team’s quarterback room.
Most pundits don’t like Mason Rudolph as a starter, but he’s a very capable backup. Sixth-round pick Will Howard is also no longer one injury away from starting, which allows the rookie to focus on his long-term development.
Rodgers is 153-87-1 in his NFL career as a starting quarterback. He owns the best passer rating and interception percentage in NFL history.
Rodgers will turn 42 years old in December, so this could be his final NFL season. He will look to end his career on a much better note than 2024 was with the New York Jets.
Last season, Rodgers led the Jets to a 5-12 record with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He completed 63% of his passes and averaged 6.7 yards per attempt.
