There were reports that the Pittsburgh Steelers would get an answer from Aaron Rodgers on his future by mid-March. That’s come and gone, and March is almost over now. It feels like the wait for Rodgers could drag on like it did last offseason. The NFL draft feels like the next most logical deadline for word on Rodgers, with the Steelers potentially in play for a quarterback in the first round. However, ESPN insider Adam Schefter shut all of that down.
“I don’t expect that Pittsburgh’s gonna be going quarterback in round one, so to me, the draft is not really a deadline,” Schefter said Wednesday on ESPN’s NFL Live. “I don’t think that factors in.
“They’re smart enough to give Aaron Rodgers the time he needs to operate and the space that he wants and needs, and that when he’s ready, he can give them a decision about whether he’s ready or not to come back. Whether that’s next week, next month, or post-draft. I don’t think the draft is going to impact what they do and how much they want him back.”
The longer this process takes, the more it feels like Rodgers’ decision won’t be coming until sometime in the summer. He didn’t officially join the Steelers until June last year. If he isn’t retiring, perhaps that’s the real deadline to consider.
It’s also interesting to note Schefter’s confidence in the Steelers not drafting a quarterback with their first-round pick. That’s not too surprising, given the lack of quality at that position in this year’s class. However, Alabama’s Ty Simpson has received a lot of first-round buzz, and Pittsburgh felt like a potential landing spot for him. Schefter makes it sound less likely, though.
The most likely outcome could be almost exactly what the Steelers did last year. They passed up on quarterbacks in the first round, eventually took one later on as a developmental player, and had Rodgers join them before training camp.
They’ve met with some mid-round signal callers, so perhaps they’ll add to that room while they wait for Rodgers. It doesn’t seem like they’re going to sign a different veteran in the meantime, though.
However, there’s no telling how this saga will end. Rodgers could retire, and that would force the Steelers to go in a different direction. Until then, though, fans might want to get comfortable. It certainly seems like Rodgers could take his time making a decision once again.