The Aaron Rodgers free agency saga didn’t end Thursday when the four-time league MVP shared on “The Pat McAfee Show” that he isn’t rushing into a decision on his NFL future as he grapples with challenges in his personal life.
And while Rodgers speaking out is noteworthy, not to mention his unloading on an ugly split from the Jets, for the Steelers team that has heavily pursued him this offseason, they probably weren’t “happy” to hear the Super Bowl winner’s latest address with the 2025 NFL Draft now less than a week away.
“All this tells me is that’s he trying to capture in and control back the narrative when the Steelers, they might want him, but he’s not signed there, this tells me like, what’s happening, when is this going to happen, how much longer are you going to string teams along because eventually these teams are going to have to know what’s happening,” former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel said Friday on the “Scoop City” podcast he co-hosts with The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers, they draft [No.] 21, they cannot be happy to hear these comments before you draft 21. They’re going to be full-in on a quarterback now, they’re going to probably be looking to move up for a quarterback. Does [Ole Miss quarterback] Jaxson Dart, does [Colorado quarterback] Shedeur Sanders fall to them? All these things, he said nothing, Dianna, that was my thing. We knew retirement was going to be the case for him, we’ve all said that. You’re telling us nothing that we heard and it’s just an interesting way to get the messaging out.”
The Steelers have demonstrated patience in Rodgers’ waiting room even as teams such as the Vikings — speculated to be a preferred destination of the 41-year-old quarterback — and the Giants took alternative routes, with Big Blue securing Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh’s QB1 last season.
Pittsburgh famously hosted Rodgers for a visit last month, weeks after they added two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DK Metcalf in a trade with the Seahawks.
Rodgers and Metcalf even worked out together this offseason, something that Steelers owner Art Rooney II considered a positive sign.
“We keep hearing that he’s headed in our direction,” Rooney said this month at the league meetings in Palm Beach, where he also noted (via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), “I didn’t envision it taking this long.”
Even before Rodgers’ appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” the Steelers had been getting better acquainted with the quarterback prospects in this year’s class, hosting Dart and Sanders for visits.
Although the Steelers likely still consider Rodgers their top target, the possibility of retirement cannot be ruled out, much like the longtime Packer floated Thursday.
“I’m open to anything and attached to nothing, so retirement could still be a possibility,” he said.
Rodgers, who spent the past two seasons with the Jets, said Thursday he’s “just going through a lot in my personal life that has to take precedent at this point.”
He also divulged he’s in a “serious relationship,” a nugget that caught the attention of many.
“He didn’t say anything, he didn’t tell us anything, he said he’s 41 and in a serious relationship,” Daniel said. “I want to know who he’s in a relationship with more than anything.”
Rodgers revealed in December he was dating a woman named Brittani. It’s unclear if this is the same person he referred to on Thursday.
He was previously engaged to actress Shailene Woodley, who has since moved on with “Emily in Paris” star Lucas Bravo.
Rodgers is coming off a 17-game season with the Jets, throwing for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
