Aaron Rodgers looms as arguably the top name left on the market. At age 41, it’s clear he won’t be in the league forever. However, at this rate, he won’t be in the league at all. Of course, there’s still plenty of time, but the tension rises with every passing day.
Meanwhile, teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers went through the 2025 NFL Draft with an opportunity to draft Shedeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart, but elected to skip both prospects. That leaves them waiting on Rodgers. The wait will be worth it, however, according to one of his former teammates.
James Jones: Aaron Rodgers Is Still the Guy the Pittsburgh Steelers Need
Speaking on a May 26 edition of “The Facility,” Rodgers’ former wide receiver James Jones sized up the team’s quarterback room and explained how he felt Rodgers would compare.
.@89JonesNTAF says Aaron Rodgers is “absolutely” worth the wait for the Steelers:
“That QB they’re looking at is not Five Carat. You have no answer at QB right now.” pic.twitter.com/l06yIojP8B
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) May 26, 2025
“That quarterback [room they’re] looking at right now is not five carats,” said Jones. “The wait is absolutely going to be worth it, because he is walking in [as] the best quarterback in that room, and he’s going to help your team succeed at the highest possibility over them dudes.”
Jones didn’t hesitate to underline the gap in talent. He didn’t mention names, but the message was clear: Even a post-injury Rodgers would be an upgrade over what Pittsburgh has on hand.
“So is he worth the wait? Absolutely, because you don’t have no answer at quarterback right now, so you got to wait, and I don’t care how long you got to wait, you need to get a quarterback in there that could deliver, and it’s Aaron Rodgers.”
The Steelers currently have Mason Rudolph, rookie Will Howard, and Skylar Thompson on the roster.
NFL Analyst Uses Precedent to Set Potential Timeline on When Rodgers Could Sign With Steelers
Rodgers remains a free agent with the calendar set to flip to June. At this point, fans have waited in one way or another for more than a few months to learn the quarterback’s fate. The wait could go on for quite some time if history is set to repeat itself.
Writing in a May 26 article for Pro Football Talk, NFL analyst Mike Florio reminded fans that Rodgers’ former mentor took until August to make his choice. Favre was also coming off a tenure with the New York Jets.
“Remember this: In 2009, Brett Favre didn’t show up in Minnesota until the middle of August,” Florio wrote. “There supposedly was a ‘schism’ in the locker room between embracing Favre and riding with incumbent starter Tarvaris Jackson. That schism was resolved as soon as Favre started throwing passes.”
So, it could still be nearly three months before Rodgers selects his next team. Of course, at this point, it is still fair to wonder whether the age-41 quarterback could decide to walk away from the game entirely.
Three months is a long time, and if the quarterback gets comfortable being separated from the league or vice versa, it could indeed be the end for Rodgers.
Will the quarterback sign on the dotted line before it’s too late?