The Pittsburgh Steelers are still searching for a new quarterback. Russell Wilson signed with the New York Giants, while Justin Fields joined the New York Jets in NFL free agency. This has left Pittsburgh scrambling for a new signal-caller in recent weeks.
One potential option is four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers. However, the Steelers and Rodgers have essentially danced around each other for almost a month. And it has sparked some intriguing public comments about what’s next for Pittsburgh.
Cam Heyward Dropped Eye-Opening Aaron Rodgers Message Amid Free Agency
One player who came out and spoke publicly is veteran defensive end Cam Heyward. The seven-time Pro Bowler was asked about his message to Rodgers as free agency continues. His opinions were very strong and unfiltered, even coming across as a possible knock on the future Hall of Famer.
“I ain’t doing that darkness retreat. I don’t need any of that crap,” Heyward said, via NFL Media’s Kevin Patra. “Either you want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler or you don’t. That’s simple. That’s the pitch. If you want me to recruit, that’s the recruiting pitch. Pittsburgh Steelers. If you want to be part of it, so be it. If you don’t, no skin off my back.”
Tom Pelissero makes it sound like TJ Watt is not a fan of the Steelers bringing in Aaron Rodgers. Or the way this is going down with Rodgers. 🤔 pic.twitter.com/2qaD6RfnCh
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) April 10, 2025
This certainly sparked a ton of discourse online. It seemed as if the Pittsburgh veteran felt frustrated with the process. And the above comment felt like a call out of Rodgers. To be fair, Heyward did clarify his comments shortly after.
“Yea, it was misconstrued,” Heyward said. “The pitch is: If you wanna be a Steeler, be a Steeler. It wasn’t meant that I don’t like Rodgers or I’m against it. I think when I look at our team right now, it would be really cool to have a guy like Aaron Rodgers, but I can’t be the guy who gets it over the finish line. I think he’s got to make those decisions for himself.”
Other Steelers Players Reportedly Feel Offseason Frustration
NFL Insider Tom Pelissero recently guest-hosted The Rich Eisen Show. The plugged-in reporter discussed a variety of topics on the show. During the episode, the Steelers’ quarterback situation came up and Pelissero quickly revealed that Heyward isn’t the only one feeling frustrated with how the offseason has played out.
“That opinion, from everything I’ve been told, is not solely to Cam Heyward,” Pelissero said. “There are other people, certainly in the organization, in the locker room, who are just going like, ‘What are we doing? We’re back for offseason workouts in 10 days. We’re coming up on the draft. What is the plan?'”
There is some credence to the frustration reportedly being felt. As mentioned, Pittsburgh remains without a starting quarterback. This is a weird predicament for a team coming off another playoff appearance.
The Steelers have had an intriguing offseason, to say the least. However, it hasn’t been a popular one. How they end their offseason maneuvering could say a lot about how they view their outlook for the 2025 season.