How Steelers reportedly expect Aaron Rodgers saga will end

For a piece published late Sunday night, ESPN’s Brooke Pryor made note of the Pittsburgh Steelers “passing on a quarterback four times before finally selecting 24-year-old developmental prospect Will Howard out of Ohio State in the sixth round” of the 2025 NFL Draft.

She wrote that the move suggested that, for individuals associated with the Steelers, such as team owner and president Art Rooney II, “(Aaron) Rodgers was very much present in their decision-making process.”

During a Monday morning appearance on Pittsburgh sports radio station 102.5 WDVE, Steelers reporter Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette offered an update on the Rodgers saga that may be nearing its conclusion. 

“The Steelers firmly believe that he will sign with them,” Dulac said about Rodgers, per Ross McCorkle of Steelers Depot. “It’s less likely that he won’t be their quarterback.” 

While speaking on the Steelers’ flagship radio program this past Friday, Rooney said that “we’re still kind of getting the same signals” that Rodgers “does want to come here, so I do think we may get word soon.” 

After Pittsburgh drafted Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon at overall pick No. 21 this past Thursday night, NFL insider Josina Anderson reported that the Steelers “communicated with Aaron Rodgers at the beginning of [last] week that they would like to receive an answer from him” regarding his intentions for the 2025 season “at least 48 hours” before the start of the player-selection process.

Anderson added that the Steelers knew “the outcome of that conversation.” 

The organization passed on drafting a big-name quarterback prospect such as Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, Louisville’s Tyler Shough and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe.

On Friday, ESPN “Unsportsmanlike” co-host and analyst Evan Cohen revealed that a conversation with “somebody who is close to Rodgers” left Cohen believing that “it’s almost as if” the future Hall of Famer “wants the Steelers to make a move so he doesn’t have to say no to them.” The Athletic’s Zak Keefer subsequently pointed out that the Steelers lost some “leverage” in talks with Rodgers because they currently would have to start either longtime backup Mason Rudolph or potential QB3 Skylar Thompson over Howard this coming September. 

That said, Josh Kendall of The Athletic noted that the Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints ended the draft on track to start quarterbacks other than Rodgers. 

Unless the Vikings soon change their minds about turning to 2024 first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy, it appears the Steelers and Rodgers will need each other if the 41-year-old decides he’s not yet ready to ride off into the sunset of retirement.