Aaron Rodgers Says There's 'No Deadline' from Steelers for Decision on NFL Future

Free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers said Thursday that there is no specific timeline in place for him to make a decision about his playing future.

During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show (h/t NFL Network's Tom Pelissero), Rodgers said the following with regard to his talks with the Pittsburgh Steelers:

"Listen, this entire time I haven't felt like I owed somebody any decision at some point. ... I've been upfront with them about that. If you need to move on, call me, by all means. ... There's been no deadline. And yeah, I've talked to [Steelers head coach] Mike [Tomlin] many times."

ESPN's Adam Schefter (h/t ESPN's Brooke Pryor) reported last month that Rodgers met with the Steelers at their team facility for six hours, noting that it was a positive visit and the two sides agreed to stay in touch.

Over his 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers was a four-time NFL MVP and one-time Super Bowl champion, but they decided to move on and traded him to the New York Jets in 2023.

Rodgers missed all but one offensive series in 2023 due to a torn Achilles, but he returned to start all 17 games last season.

Although Rodgers' numbers were solid in his age-41 season, completing 63.0 percent of his passes for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, it didn't lead to much winning, as New York finished 5-12.

The Jets decided to part ways with Rodgers this offseason, replacing him with former Steelers and Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields.

Rodgers has been the top free-agent quarterback available for quite some time, but his options have dwindled.

The New York Giants signed both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, and the Minnesota Vikings seem content with entering 2025 with second-year man J.J. McCarthy as the starting quarterback.

Pittsburgh is likely the only potential playoff-contending team that can offer Rodgers the starting job, which is why it is at least somewhat surprising that the decision has taken so long.

Earlier this month, Pryor asked Steelers owner Art Rooney II how long he would be willing to wait for an answer from Rodgers, and he said he would wait "not forever, but a little while longer."

For his part, Rodgers had some positive things to say about the Steelers on Thursday, especially as it relates to Tomlin.

Per Mike DeFabo of The Athletic, Rodgers told McAfee, "He's more than I even thought from afar as far as the type of person he is. I have a lot of respect for what he's accomplished in the league."

Rodgers also said he has built a relationship with Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and has respect for him.

The 2025 NFL draft starts next week, and it stands to reason that the Steelers would like to have some clarity on the Rodgers situation before then.

However, no matter what Rodgers decides, it seems likely that the Steelers will invest an early pick in a quarterback since Rodgers is nearing the end of his career regardless.