Dan Marino Questions Aaron Rodgers’ Mindset: ‘You Gotta Have Someone That Really Wants to Play There’
Former Pitt quarterback and Miami Dolphins legend Dan Marino weighed in on the Aaron Rodgers saga during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan on Tuesday morning.
“I still think Aaron has some game,” Marino told Joe Starkey of 93.7 The Fan. “He does. He can throw it as good as anybody that ever has thrown the football. If his mind’s into it and he’s ready to go and that works. I don’t think it would be an issue with the Steelers.
“But you gotta have someone that really wants to play there. And he’s getting older. So I don’t know what his mindset is. But he does still have talent.”
Many are of the belief that Rodgers is washed, especially considering that he turns 42 in December, but Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning thinks Rodgers can still play at an elite level and lead a team to a Super Bowl.
“I think so,” Manning said at the Golden Bear Pro-Am in Ohio last week when asked if Rodgers could play championship football. “Look, the guy’s super talented, probably has arguably one of the best arms of all-time. He’s just kind of elastic. I don’t have any insight on that, hopefully he gets with a team soon and kind of gets going. It’ll be fun to see him back on the field.”
Last season with the New York Jets, Aaron Rodgers threw for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also had a 90.5 quarterback ratting.
In comparison, Russell Wilson threw for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions with a 95.6 quarterback rating last season for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wilson played in 11 regular season games compared to Rodgers’ 17.
Rodgers could probably get the Steelers to 9-10 wins and a playoff berth, but a Super Bowl run seems very unlikely.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have remained patient with quarterback Aaron Rodgers this offseason, and that will likely continue a little while longer. But ESPN insider Dan Graziano revealed there is a deadline that the Steelers would look to move on.
“If Rodgers is not there by the time they go to training camp in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, [in] late July, then I think that’s when the Steelers start to look at other options,” Graziano said on ESPN’s SportsCenter. “As of now, we are just waiting on Aaron Rodgers.”
Pittsburgh has done its best to put some pressure on Rodgers to make a decision. President Art Rooney II said at the NFL owners meetings in March that the team will “not wait forever” for Rodgers and he reiterated last month that his stance hasn’t changed.
All signs point 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.