Aaron Rodgers' Comments Reportedly Don't 'Change A Whole Lot' For Steelers at QB

Aaron Rodgers talking about his indecision regarding his NFL future on Thursday's episode of the Pat McAfee Show won't change the Pittsburgh Steelers plans, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

“When I checked with somebody in Pittsburgh, they said, 'Look, this really doesn't change a whole lot, because we've done a ton of work on the quarterbacks this year.' And the Steelers went into this offseason knowing they probably have to take a swing either this year or next at the quarterbacks," Fowler said Friday on NFL Live. "So they looked at everyone from Shedeur Sanders to Jalen Milroe, Will Howard, all of them. So they're prepared, if the value is right, to potentially take one.

"They feel good about Mason Rudolph as a bridge option. They know that he's not the long-term solution, but for a year, if they had to get by with him, they could. Then there's the back pocket option of a potential Kirk Cousins, right? If you get through the draft, and Falcons still hold him and Rodgers doesn't play for them, they could at least circle back there if they needed to.”


Rodgers told McAfee on Thursday that he was "open to anything and attached to nothing" regarding his NFL future.

"Retirement could still be a possibility. But right now my focus has been, and will continue to be, on my personal life. And that's what I've told the coaches," Rodgers said.

When asked specifically if the Steelers had given him a date by which he would have to make his decision, Rodgers said, "Listen, this entire time, I haven't felt like I owed anybody some decision at any point. This is my life... there's been no deadline."

Two weeks after signing Rudolph to a two-year deal in mid-March, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said in March the team had not given Rodgers a timeline that he knew of.

Team president Art Rooney II then said at the beginning of April that the Steelers were willing to wait for Rodgers, "not forever, but a little while longer."

The deadline for the Steelers could potentially end up being next Friday, when the 2025 NFL draft kicks off in Green Bay.

The Steelers hold six picks in the upcoming draft, including the No. 21, No. 83 and No. 123 selections. The franchise has met with quarterback prospects including Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, Syracuse's Kyle McCord, Louisville's Tyler Shough and Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart ahead of the draft, according to The Athletic's Mike DeFabo.

If the Steelers ultimately pass on both drafting a quarterback and pursuing Rodgers to stick with Rudolph, Skylar Thompson, signed to a futures contract in January, could serve as backup next season.