Vikings Out on Aaron Rodgers: ‘Steelers, Retire or Bust’
The Minnesota Vikings may have some interest in free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers if he remains available deep into the summer, but if he wants to make a decision any time soon, it’s the Pittsburgh Steelers or nothing, according to one NFL insider.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on Monday that the Vikings are no longer in serious pursuit of Rodgers, and his pending choice is simply between signing with the Steelers or not playing at all.
“The Minnesota Vikings, is [Rodgers] waiting them out? That is sort of a lingering question out there, but when I talked to people with the Vikings, this is all but dead for them, essentially,” Fowler said on SportsCenter on Monday. “Maybe if he’s available later in the summer, they would revisit, but just seems unlikely at this point. So it’s Steelers, retirement or bust.”
The Steelers remain optimistic that they’ll eventually be able to sign Rodgers after his visit to Pittsburgh in March. With the Vikings not in the running, there is basically no where else for Rodgers to go where he would have easy access to playing time this year.
“We keep hearing that he’s, I guess, headed in our direction. That seems to be all signs are positive so far,” president Art Rooney II said on Tuesday at the NFL owner’s meetings. “We keep getting positive sort-of signals about it. I’d say we feel pretty good about it.”
The team has not put a timeframe on Rodgers decision, with head coach Mike Tomlin suggesting that the team wouldn’t even need Rogers for OTAs, and Rooney saying the team is comfortable waiting at this point.
“Not forever, but a little while longer,” Rooney said. “… Hopefully, we’ll know something soon.”
