Owner Art Rooney II said during a Friday appearance on “Steelers Now” that Rodgers does “want” to come to Pittsburgh (h/t ESPN’s Brooke Pryor). He added news on this long-running front may be coming soon as a result.
“We’re still kind of getting the same signals that we’ve been getting recently. He does want to come here so I do think we may get word soon,” Rooney said.
Team and player have remained in communication this week, with the Steelers obviously preferring to have clarity on whether or not Rodgers will sign prior to the start of the draft. It remains to be seen if the 41-year-old will play at all next year, but if he does, a short Pittsburgh stint would come as no surprise given the interest shown in him. No timeline is in place, but a number of QB prospects are still on the board with the Steelers due to pick 83rd overall.
During his recent public comments on his situation, Rodgers said personal matters are currently receiving the bulk of his attention during his lengthy free-agent stint. The four-time MVP has communicated to teams he is prepared to take a one-year deal in the $10M range, an arrangement that would certainly leave the door open to the addition of a rookie. Rodgers is (at least publicly) on board with suitors moving forward with a QB draft pick, and it will be interesting to see if the Steelers do indeed go that route soon.
Pittsburgh was among the teams that had a first-round grade on Jaxson Dart, but the team turned down the opportunity to select him and instead took Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon. Shedeur Sanders, meanwhile, remains on the board with the opening two rounds in the books. Head coach Mike Tomlin is believed to be a fan of Sanders, making him a potential target with the team’s third-rounder.
In any event, Rooney’s comments made it clear a rookie would not be expected to handle starting duties right away in 2025. The team has Mason Rudolph back in the fold for next season, and Rodgers would of course occupy the QB1 role in the event he were to take Pittsburgh’s long-standing offer. A long-term solution under center remains a logical goal, though.
“It’s going to be somebody that will be developing and may play down the road,” Rooney said, via Alan Saunders of Steelers Now. “It’s not like somebody that’s going to have a big impact on this season.”
The Steelers have made it clear they will enter training camp with four quarterbacks, two more than they currently have. Rodgers is obviously still in play to join the team at some point as the wait continues with respect to seeing Pittsburgh’s draft plans.
