Aaron Rodgers is a master manipulator. This is something that everyone, especially an NFL team like the Pittsburgh Steelers, should be aware of yet they appear to be oblivious. In fairness, I don’t know everything there is to know about the negotiations between the two sides, but I’m not sure I really have to because this feels like something I’ve seen before.
Currently, Rodgers seems to be the favorite because the New York Giants are pulling out of these “sweepstakes.” This leaves only the Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings allegedly. There is also talk that Rodgers was going to announce his decision during his weekly visit to the “Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN. That right there tells me that the Steelers need to walk away from this.
Do I realize that times have changed? Sure, social media, the 24/7 news cycle, they’ve all changed how things are done, but to me this is just gross. Rodgers is not the QB he was five years ago. Heck, even Russell Wilson’s numbers were largely better than his were in 2024. Therefore turning this decision into a spectacle just doesn’t seem right and if the Steelers are willing to be pawns in this then that just makes me ill.
It also makes me question just how committed Rodgers is to playing anymore. Will Mike Tomlin allow him to skip mandatory mini-camp for a vacation to Timbuktu??? At some point there has to be some pride involved here with the Steelers. At the very least, you know Russell Wilson, for all of his shortcomings, is at least invested. He wants to win and he wants to play at a high level.
I really have no idea how this ends up but it hasn’t been a good look for the Steelers. Being held hostage by Aaron Rodgers because you’re desperate is demeaning. It’s also further proof that the organization screwed up badly when planning for the post-Ben Roethlisberger years.
