The Pittsburgh Steelers still don’t have a decision from free agent QB Aaron Rodgers on whether he’ll return to the team or retire, but they expect clarity soon. At the NFL Owners Meetings, Art Rooney II told Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the team expects a decision from Rodgers before the NFL Draft begins on April 23.
“I still expect that,” Rooney II told the Post-Gazette. “I expect we’ll get an answer before the draft.”
If Rodgers gives the Steelers a decision before the draft, it makes their quarterback depth chart clearer. Rodgers will be the starter and the team will have Mason Rudolph and Will Howard behind him, lessening the need to potentially take a quarterback early in the draft.
Rooney also echoed Omar Khan’s comments at the NFL Combine that Rodgers’ process won’t take as long as last year, when he signed with the Steelers before the beginning of mandatory minicamp.
If Rodgers doesn’t return, the Steelers could turn to another veteran quarterback or give Howard, a sixth-round pick in 2025, an extended look. Either way, the team will likely bring four quarterbacks to training camp as they always do, so drafting a quarterback becomes much more of a possibility if Rodgers does decide to hang up his cleats.
During a March 4 appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers said he still hadn’t made a decision and didn’t have a contract offer from Pittsburgh. That’s the last time he’s spoken publicly about his status. But Rooney is confident that a decision will come within the next month. If the process drags on beyond that, the Steelers can always decide to move on, though there’s been no indication that has been considered by the organization.
Rodgers had strongly hinted that 2025 would be his last season, but his tone changed as the season went on. He led the Steelers to an AFC North title, though the team couldn’t snap its playoff win drought, going out with a 30-6 loss to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round. Rodgers finished the season with 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns with seven interceptions.
The Steelers have already put in work to bolster their offense by trading for WR Michael Pittman Jr. while also signing RB Rico Dowdle. They also beefed up their offensive line with the signing of Brock Hoffman.