A Letter From the Editor: When it comes to Aaron Rodgers, don’t believe all you read

The Aaron Rodgers and Pittsburgh Steelers dance is no longer just considered a dance, but a drama. In fact, some might even consider it a saga at this stage.

It has been since March when rumors and speculation began of Rodgers, who was released by the New York Jets, potentially joining the Steelers for the 2025 season. Since then we’ve had Rodgers sneak into the city to meet with the team’s brass, Rodgers hint in a public Q&A he will be joining the team, and Rodgers go on several podcasts talking about everything under the sun except the Steelers or football.

And here we are now in June with not even a hint of what might happen between the two parties as the Steelers press on throughout Phase III of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and prepare for Mandatory Minicamp.

Will Rodgers sign before Mandatory Minicamp? Some are speculating that might be the case, but the reality of the situation is no one genuinely knows what will happen.

This weekend I was able to speak with our source within the Steelers organization, and he talked about the Steelers approach to the Rodgers situation, and it might not be what you want and/or expect.

It also might be contrary to what you are reading and hearing on other outlets, especially the national media outlets.

According to our source, the Steelers are still patiently waiting for Rodgers to make up his mind as to whether he wants to play football in 2025. His desire to play doesn’t hinge on his health, mental status, or even his options at the moment. It hinges on those personal situations he spoke about on both the Pat McAfee and Joe Rogan shows/podcasts.

If those situations are remedied, there is a strong chance Rodgers will play in 2025. If those situations end as poorly as possible, Rodgers could just step away from the game.

However, if you are hearing the Steelers are frustrated with the situation, and don’t want any part of waiting past a specific deadline, that is false information.

There is no frustration on the Steelers end of this situation, and that’s even after there has been no guarantee from Rodgers on his potential arrival. Some are suggesting Rodgers has told them he doesn’t want to do the offseason workouts and is waiting to sign until they are over. While that could happen, that hasn’t been construed to the Steelers in any way. Some are suggesting Rodgers has told the Steelers he’ll be there, but just needs to take care of some personal things first. Rodgers hasn’t said anything of the sort.

The Steelers are patiently waiting, and at some point they could require an answer from Rodgers to be able to get acclimated and play, but that time isn’t now.

Rodgers and the Steelers have had nothing but positive interactions, and Rodgers stays in touch with Mike Tomlin on a regular basis. The Steelers are not in the dark with this situation. Is there an offer on the table? While the specifics of a potential deal weren’t made public, if Rodgers plays this season both parties have a good feel for what the other is expecting in terms of contract.

As I said earlier, for some this news is frustrating. It’s frustrating because they, the fans, are frustrated with a perceived lack of commitment on Rodgers’ part. Some are ticked off with the Steelers waiting around for the aging quarterback to make up his mind. Many, and this is a growing group, are starting to warm up to the thought of Mason Rudolph being the quarterback in 2025 and Will Howard backing him up.

While frustrating, these are the facts which were conveyed to me from our source. Do with it what you like, but if you hear anyone say or write the Steelers are reaching the end of their proverbial rope with this situation, they couldn’t be more wrong. In other words, if you were looking for the end of this tunnel, the Steelers seem willing to sit in the tunnel a little while longer…and they’re okay with that.