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BREAKING: Aaron Rodgers Plans to Sign with Steelers
It’s official: Aaron Rodgers is heading to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Rodgers plans to sign with the Steelers this weekend and attend mandatory minicamp next week, according to Alan Saunders of Steelers Now.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that it will be a one-year deal for Rodgers.
The four-time league MVP and future Hall of Fame quarterback showed he can still play good football last year with the New York Jets, throwing for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. But it’s not the level he’s been accustomed to playing throughout his 20-year NFL career. And that’s why the Jets parted ways with him, especially considering his high salary.
Rodgers said in February during an interview with TMZ that he was looking for two things in his next team.
“They want you,” Rodgers said. “And they have a good team.”
Rodgers will have a top-tier wide receiver to throw to in DK Metcalf. The Steelers made a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks for Metcalf in March. An arsenal of Metcalf, Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, Robert Woods and tight end Pat Freiermuth look pretty solid on paper. The Steelers also selected Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson in the draft to pair with Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, who was signed from the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency.
The Steelers still need a No. 2 wide receiver after trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys last month, however. The Steelers brought in Gabe Davis for a visit on Thursday, but he left the team’s facility without a contract.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has extensively shared his appreciation for Rodgers in the past, and vice versa, though the 41-year-old would be a significant departure from the kind of player the Steelers have recently been targeting, with a recent emphasis on quarterback mobility driving most of their decisions.
Rodgers is not that — and is the most-sacked quarterback in NFL history — but has still been effective despite his age. He has the lowest career interception rate of any NFL quarterback — something the defensive-minded Tomlin will surely love.
“I’m a big Mike Tomlin fan,” Rodgers said in 2021. “I have been for a long time. I like the way he speaks about his team. I like the way that he goes about his business. I like his confidence. I’ve heard nothing but good things from guys that have played there.”
Steelers president Art Rooney II said in March that he saw Rodgers choosing to work out with Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf as one of a number of positive signs that Rodgers will eventually sign in Pittsburgh.
“I would say it’s a good sign he wanted to do that,” Rooney said. “We keep hearing that he’s, I guess, headed in our direction. That seems to be all signs are positive so far. … We keep getting positive sort-of signals about it. I’d say we feel pretty good about it.”
That was the general theme at the NFL owners meeting. Rooney, Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan all sounded confident that Rodgers would sign with the Steelers.
“When you talk to people from Pittsburgh, they really give you the sense that this is all gonna work out,” Dianna Russini of The Athletic said on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. “We’re fine, you heard Mike Tomlin, I’m not panicked. He’s having the direct communication with Rodgers and I believe Rodgers is telling him, ‘We’ll get there.’”
Adam Schefter of ESPN said that Tomlin was a major reason in Rodgers becoming a Steeler.
All signs pointed to Rodgers eventually signing with the Steelers, as the 41-year-old QB dropped a major hint last month.
During a concert on May 17 in Austin, Texas with his friend and artist, Mike Stud, Rodgers held a Q&A with the crowd.
At one point during the session, a girl asked him if he would ever play for the Chicago Bears. Rodgers replied, “No. But I believe there is a team that might play in Chicago this year, a road trip to Chicago. I love Chicago, though, way more than they love me. It’s been a great relationship all one way.”
The Steelers play the Bears in Week 12 at Soldier Field. The Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints also both play at Chicago this season, but they’re not considered clear-cut favorites to land Rodgers like the Steelers. Rodgers even shut down the idea of playing for the Saints.
Rodgers was later asked if he would sign with the Steelers, and he gave a rather ambiguous answer.
“You never know,” Rodgers said.
The Steelers now officially have an answer. The 41-year-old quarterback will be under center for the Black and Gold in 2025.
Alan Saunders contributed reporting for this story.