The exhausting timeline of the Aaron Rodgers saga continues. For the third straight offseason, Rodgers has dominated NFL headlines — first with his long flirtation with the New York Jets, then the broken promises and OTA drama last year. Now? More of the same.
After being released by New York, the four-time MVP has drawn interest from multiple teams. The New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, and Pittsburgh Steelers have all reportedly reached out. But with other free agents coming off the board and Rodgers dragging things out again, one or more teams could soon bow out of the race.
Aaron Rodgers Sweepstakes Dwindling?
Nick Wright, host of “First Things First” on FS1, has long theorized that Rodgers stretches these decisions out to stay in the news cycle.
We’ll probably never get confirmation of that, but the process of picking a new team does look like it’ll be a long one again.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport confirmed that Rodgers’ timeline may not line up with the league’s.
“Do you draft someone? That’s about a month away, so all of us would like this done sooner rather than later,” Rapoport said. “I don’t get the sense that Rodgers is in any kind of hurry at all. Could it drag out all the way to the draft like it did two years ago? Maybe it could.”
Rodgers may want to see what each franchise has planned before making his move. That could be part of the delay. But with the Vikings already signaling they’re out, another team could be next.
Michelle Smallmon, who hosts radio for ESPN and offers sharp NFL analysis, believes the Steelers could be pulling back, too.
“I think the Steelers are off the board too. The more that I think about this, at some point the Steelers I think are gonna throw in the towel and say, ‘We’re done waiting.’”
Pittsburgh’s offense struggled last season, ranking 25th in PFSN’s Offense+ metric. Justin Fields and Russell Wilson both saw time under center. According to PFSN’s QB+ metric, both ranked ahead of Rodgers — Fields would’ve, had he met the games played threshold.
Still, Rodgers showed some signs of life in 2024. He threw for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns with just 11 interceptions. But in leading the Jets, who many experts considered a playoff contender, to a 5-12 season, Rodgers all but ensured he’d be looking for a new home.
Rodgers, coming off a rough ending in Green Bay and an even worse stint with the Jets, isn’t the ideal answer at QB in 2025. The Steelers showed interest, but that interest might be fading fast.