Steelers Ripped for Handling of Aaron Rodgers: ‘Mismanaged This Situation Worse Than Any NFL Team Could’
As we enter the middle of the month of May, the outcome of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Aaron Rodgers saga remains a mystery, and it’s drawing major scrutiny toward the Steelers’ front office.
On Monday, NFL analyst Gregg Rosenthal appeared on The Ross Tucker Football Podcast, where Tucker openly criticized the Steelers’ handling of the situation.
“If for some reason he [Rodgers] chooses not to go there, that’s also great because the Steelers have mismanaged this situation worse than any NFL team could,” Rosenthal said.
Despite the fact that the start of OTAs is now just two weeks away, the Steelers have still not given Rodgers a deadline on when they feel he must sign a contract before they’ll consider other options, and it doesn’t seem likely that they will.
But the claims of mismanagement can go far beyond that.
It all began when the New York Jets signed Justin Fields, a player the Steelers had openly targeted as a returning free agent they wanted to keep. Confusion grew as more free agent quarterbacks came off the board, including Russell Wilson and Sam Darnold.
Pittsburgh did bring back a familiar face in Mason Rudolph, but throughout his career, Rudolph has mostly been a serviceable backup, and he’s coming off a rough season in that role with the Tennessee Titans in 2024. If Rudolph is the answer, it will not be a popular one, despite Tomlin’s assurances.
The one option that remains is Rodgers, who has given plenty of signs that he’s genuinely interested in signing with the Steelers.
First, he threw at UCLA with newly acquired Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf. Rodgers also made a stealthy visit to Pittsburgh, where he met with Art Rooney II, Omar Khan, Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
Rooney even publicly expressed optimism about the possibility of landing the four-time MVP.
“We keep hearing that he’s, I guess, headed in our direction, and so that seems to indicate that all signs are positive so far,” Rooney said at the 2025 NFL owners meetings in Palm Beach, Florida in March.
Many speculated that even if the Steelers signed Rodgers, they would still draft a quarterback early. However, the Steelers waited until the sixth round to take Ohio State’s Will Howard in the 2025 NFL Draft, a move that suggested they were comfortable with a low-risk, developmental project, reinforcing the belief that Rodgers was expected to come on board.
However as time has dragged on, no deal has been signed. Fans and analysts alike are beginning to question what exactly is happening.
Even if the Steelers do sign Rodgers, it won’t solve their long-term quarterback issue. At 41 years old, Rodgers’ best days are likely behind him. The team’s best hope for a long-term successor on the current roster may be Howard. While he’s a national champion and has upside, history shows that sixth-round picks rarely develop into franchise quarterbacks.
No matter how this unfolds, there is plenty of uncertainty surrounding the Steelers’ quarterback situation, not just for this season, but for the future as well.
