Mike Tomlin Talks Aaron Rodgers-Steelers Meeting, 'There’s No Substitute for Intimacy'

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin didn't provide any updates Monday when it came to the pursuit of free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Tomlin told reporters that "there's no substitute for intimacy," so it was good to meet with Rodgers personally last week. The coach added he's "really comfortable with being unsettled this time of year," so it doesn't sound as though Pittsburgh feels a level of urgency to address its QB situation.

Tomlin's comments Monday come a day after he was similarly vague about his quarterback plans for 2025.

"We're still evaluating the acquisition of a guy at the position, whether it's free agency and/or the draft, and so we're doing our due diligence communicating with some free agents. Also preparing for the draft," he told reporters.

Tomlin said the team isn't operating with any sort of internal deadline.

The fact Rodgers left Pittsburgh without a contract agreement certainly seems to be telling.

At this stage of the offseason, the quarterback market has thinned out. Not to mention, the four-time MVP is a proven commodity. If the Steelers really wanted Rodgers or he really wanted the Steelers, then they presumably would've struck a bargain by now. Instead, it looks like one of the two parties is waiting for a better solution to emerge.

Tomlin, for his part, isn't convincing anybody when he said Pittsburgh is "excited about having Mason Rudolph back." It will be difficult to sell fans on the idea the team can mount a playoff charge next year if Rudolph is the starter.

Of course, the same might apply to Rodgers too given how much he struggled with the New York Jets in 2024.

For a lot of fans in the Steel City, this all symbolizes the Steelers' lack of a succession plan in a post-Ben Roethlisberger future. They whiffed on Kenny Pickett and cycled through Mitchell Trubisky, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields in the hope of finding something that sticks.

Especially if Rodgers is the ultimate choice, the franchise will basically be in the same exact position again this time next spring.