Ben Roethlisberger Shares New Theory on Aaron Rodgers Saga
Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger shares his new theory on why free agent Aaron Rodgers has yet to sign.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger thought free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers was dragging out his decision with the hope of joining the Minnesota Vikings. But he has since changed his mind on the matter.
Roethlisberger shared that he now believes Rodgers could be buying time for a yet-to-be-mentioned wild-card team.
“I have a new theory,” Roethlisberger said on his “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger” podcast. “So I think the Vikings are out. I thought he was holding out because I thought the Vikings were a more ready team. I still think he’s going to sign with the Steelers. I don’t think he’s ready to retire yet. You don’t put that work in if you’re retiring yet.”
“I think either he’s going to wait … for the Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday night or you’re waiting for the draft to see if they’re going to draft a quarterback. Maybe he doesn’t want to be here if they’re going to bring a guy in. Or is there a wild-card team out there,” Roethlisberger continued. “Maybe there’s a quarterback out there, I’m not going to mention any names, who maybe has a subtle injury that we don’t know about. A starting quarterback on a team out there that has an injury that people don’t know about. Maybe he’s waiting for that.”
If that is the case, it’s a risky game for Rodgers to play. While the Steelers have not put a timeframe on him to make a decision, they continue to do their homework on the 2025 NFL Draft’s quarterback class.
Pittsburgh will host Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who is widely considered to be one of the top prospects in the entire 2025 NFL Draft class, on a pre-draft visit to UPMC Rooney Sports Complex this week.
It could be a move to put pressure on Rodgers without outwardly saying it, but Rodgers is certainly running the risk of losing the Steelers starting job if he doesn’t make a decision before the draft.
Holding out for another quarterback to get injured is also a gamble. While it’s inevitable that players will get hurt, it’s no guarantee that will happen to a starting quarterback on a contender.
“Of course, he could always be waiting, somebody’s going to get hurt. At some point, somebody’s going to get hurt. If it’s a team that is a contender, they could bring him in some point during the season,” Roethlisberger said. “There’s always that option.”
The time is ticking for Rodgers, but only time will tell if he or the Steelers will blink first.