The Pittsburgh Steelers finally landed their quarterback for the 2025 season, signing 41-year-old veteran Aaron Rodgers to a one-year deal. Colin Cowherd ripped the decision on The Herd.
Aaron Rodgers Was the Steelers’ Third Choice, Cowherd Labels Pairing ‘Weird’
Pittsburgh had originally wanted to keep Justin Fields before losing him in free agency to the New York Jets. Fields had started six games for the Steelers to begin the 2024 campaign before he was harshly removed from the lead role in favor of Russell Wilson.
Fields had helped the Steelers to a 4-2 record, throwing five touchdowns and rushing for another three before he was pulled from the lineup. When they asked him to come back in 2025, he was seemingly uninterested, instead opting to sign a two-year, $40 million deal with the New York Jets.
When they lost their assumed starter, Pittsburgh turned to the trade potential of the LA Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. Earlier in the offseason, Stafford’s camp had been granted the opportunity to find a suitable trade partner. The Steelers were unable to get anything done, and Stafford instead signed a reworked deal to remain with the Rams.
Only after exhausting two other options did Mike Tomlin and the franchise land on Rodgers.
The same was true in reverse, with Rodgers offering his services to the Rams. He has a house in California and frequents the area, but Sean McVay passed, instead resigning Stafford. Apparently, Rodgers was also very interested in playing for the Minnesota Vikings so that he could work with Kevin O’Connell.
This relationship between the Steelers and Rodgers came to fruition by process of elimination. The Rams passed, the Vikings apparently passed, and the Steelers had nowhere else to turn. Colin Cowherd believes it’s because Rodgers is ‘weird’:
“Weird doesn’t work, because weird is unpredictable.” Cowherd said, while referencing Rodgers’ darkness retreats and ‘passive aggressive nonsense.’ “You want your quarterback to be predictable. Even if he’s limited, even if he’s unathletic, even if he’s small, even if he’s old. You want to know what you’re getting on Sunday.”
“Weird doesn’t work… You’re not sure what you get with Aaron.”@ColinCowherd says Aaron Rodgers’ star power isn’t what it used to be. pic.twitter.com/0D6VtFgK4n
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) June 9, 2025
Cowherd went on to say that he’d had sources within the league tell him they’re out on Rodgers:
“I’ve had two general managers in the league tell me over the last couple of years, Aaron comes off as odd. You’re not really sure what you get.”
Rodgers’ Revenge Game Against Glenn in Week 1
Rodgers’ fallout with the Jets, more specifically, newly appointed head coach Aaron Glenn, is well documented. He went on the Pat McAfee show to set the record straight, detailing the meeting he had with Glenn before the severance of the two sides.
According to the veteran QB, the Jets head coach had him fly across the country for a meeting, only to sit him down and immediately tell him they were going in a different direction at the position.
Rodgers was evidently irritated by the way things went, showing particular distaste for some of the comments Glenn had made in that meeting.
He referenced one comment suggesting Rodgers would be sitting at the back of the room, undermining what the head coach was saying, to which he responded, ‘you don’t know me!’
Now, Rodgers will face Glenn’s Jets in the season opener of the 2025 season, with both men representing a new franchise for the very first time in a meaningful game. Both will be looking to prove a point.
Fields will also be facing his former franchise, which he downplayed by suggesting he hadn’t given it any additional thought.
a true Pittsburgh Steelers fan, since the 70’s as Steelers fan, I kept saying I didn’t want Aaron Rodgers coming to the Steelers and I also said that Mason Rudolph was good enough but no all the sports media groups and Steelers haters with their rat poison keep saying Aaron Rodgers is a up grade and I said no getting and having Aaron Rodgers become a Steelers will be a total nightmare