Back in February, Pittsburgh Steelers GM Omar Khan said that he expected to have an answer from QB Aaron Rodgers about a return “sooner than later”. More than a month later, no such decision has been made, at least not publicly.
The first wave of free agency has come and gone with several other veteran quarterbacks finding new homes. The next milestone on the NFL offseason calendar, the NFL Draft, is now less than a month away.
According to Jeffri Chadiha of NFL.com, the Rodgers decision and its impact on the Steelers is one of the top questions in the league heading up to the draft.
“The Steelers are doing a lot of things to indicate that the 42-year-old Rodgers is expected to be their quarterback, even though he’s once again taking his time deciding on his future,” Chadia wrote via NFL.com. “The decision to hire Mike McCarthy as head coach is one prime example. He spent 13 years with Rodgers when McCarthy coached the Green Bay Packers.
“Even though they had some well-documented issues toward the end of that run, Rodgers shared his respect for McCarthy after hearing about the Pittsburgh hiring.”
The hiring of Rodgers’ long time coach in McCarthy as well as the acquisition of wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. in a trade to give the offense another playmaker who can thrive in short yardage situations are indicators that a reunion is only a matter of time. But if the situation is heading to the same logical conclusion as a year ago, why are we still waiting for an answer?
Pittsburgh seems open to Rodgers’ return so by all appearances, it’s the quarterback who has yet to make up his mind. At 42 years old, it’s possible Rodgers really is pondering his future and weighing the possibility of retirement. Or maybe Rodgers is enjoying the spotlight and attention that his drawn-out decision will bring at the twilight of his career.
Some have speculated that a decision will be made before the NFL Draft. It’s fair to wonder what impact, if any, the conclusion of this saga will have on Pittsburgh’s plans in the draft. If Rodgers does decide to retire, would the Steelers consider a quarterback in the first round? Or would they take a flier on a mid-round QB to compete with Will Howard? The possibility of another free agent veteran quarterback being signed also still exists. If Rodgers does decide to return, the likelihood of a significant quarterback being selected in the draft would seemingly plummet.
The Rodgers decision is one of the intriguing question marks around the league that still lingers as we inch from free agency towards the draft. The implications are far-reaching and each possibility bring more questions than immediate answers.
It’s a fairly large question to still have unanswered at this point of the offseason. Sooner or later, for better or worse, we should have our answer.