While Art Rooney II expected an answer from Aaron Rodgers by the draft, that didn’t happen. The Pittsburgh Steelers are still waiting on him, although they recently stuck an unrestricted free agent tender on him. It’s unclear if that will speed up Rodgers’ process, though, as there’s no telling what his next move could be. He could simply opt to retire, something Mike Florio indirectly addressed while discussing the Steelers’ quarterback situation.
“There’s plenty of Steelers fans that hope Aaron Rodgers doesn’t show up,” Mike Florio said Wednesday on his Pro Football Talk podcast. “But be careful what you wish for. Who’s gonna play quarterback? Even if Aaron Rodgers may not be the guy that you wait for like the dog in the front window waiting for the owner to come home, even if he’s not that guy anymore, is it gonna be Mason Rudolph?
“Is it gonna be Will Howard? Is it gonna be Drew Allar? Somebody’s gotta play quarterback for this team. Where do you go if you’re the Steelers at this point if, and when, Aaron Rodgers tells you he’s not coming. They’ve gotta put a team on the field at some point.”
If the Steelers wanted to move on from Rodgers, then they should’ve been more aggressive in adding a different veteran quarterback when free agency opened. Instead, they stood pat, feeling confident that Rodgers’ answer was coming soon.
Now, it looks like the Steelers could be facing a repeat of last offseason when Rodgers waited until June to sign with them. The Steelers placing the UFA tender on him makes it feel like they aren’t completely confident that will happen, either.
Where can Pittsburgh turn at quarterback if Rodgers retires or decides to play for another team? There aren’t any enticing free agents left. The Steelers could try to swing a trade, but it’s doubtful that they’d be able to add a high-quality starter that way. If there was an obvious upgrade over Rodgers available, they probably would’ve pursued it.
That leaves the Steelers with Rudolph, Howard, and Allar. At least for now. Rudolph is a fine backup, but Pittsburgh won’t go very far if he’s the starter for the entire year. While there’s a lot of excitement about Howard, he’s yet to play in even an NFL preseason game. He was a sixth-round pick last year, too.
The Steelers drafted Allar in the third round this year, but he’s a project. He’s got a lot of flaws, and he shouldn’t start as a rookie. Sitting on the bench would be the best thing for him.
There’s a reason why the Steelers are waiting for Rodgers. He isn’t holding them hostage. They had the opportunity to move on from him when the offseason started, but they feel like he gives them their best chance at competing for a Super Bowl this year. Whether that’s right or wrong remains to be seen.