The 2025 NFL play is little than 100 days away, and nan Pittsburgh Steelers presently person 1 of nan worst backmost rooms successful football.
After watching Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, who some started games for nan squad successful 2024, onshore deals pinch nan New York Giants and New York Jets successful free agency, nan Steelers brought backmost profession backup Mason Rudolph and 2025 sixth-round rookie Will Howard to subordinate erstwhile Miami Dolphins seventh-round prime Skylar Thompson successful nan room.
At this constituent successful nan offseason, it seems for illustration this will beryllium nan group that Pittsburgh will rotation pinch for Week 1, but considering they've met pinch Aaron Rodgers, who still hasn't signed anywhere, galore still judge they could bring successful nan four-time NFL MVP to lead their offense.
It's unclear why Rodgers hasn't made a determination connected his early yet, and there's a very existent chance that he decides to bent up his cleats and telephone it a career. But, until that happens, everyone is impatiently waiting for what comes next.
While NFL analysts effort to get wrong Rodgers' mind (which is simply a scary thought), ESPN's Jeremy Fowler hypothesized that nan erstwhile first-round prime is waiting for an opportunity to unfastened up elsewhere owed to injury.
“I can’t opportunity he’s ‘rooting’ for [J.J.] McCarthy to get hurt, it’s conscionable benignant of a back-of-mind emotion of that possibly he’s benignant of waiting that out. It’s difficult pinch Aaron Rodgers because he’s truthful unpredictable and this is his first foray into free agency, truthful I can’t moreover statesman to get into his mind,” Fowler posed connected KFAN earlier this week (transcribed by Vikings Territory).
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“Look, he’s a smart guy. He sees a squad pinch a bully offense, a really bully violative coach and 9 dome games guaranteed. That’s beautiful charismatic to him, I would assume. I still think, you know, you talk to group successful Pittsburgh, they opportunity they stay optimistic, they’re going to hold a small while longer for Aaron Rodgers, they’ve been successful interaction pinch Aaron Rodgers. It still points to Pittsburgh, but until it happens, you astatine slightest wonderment if he’s waiting thing retired for illustration that.”
McCarthy, nan Minnesota Vikings' first-round prime successful 2024, tore his meniscus earlier his rookie twelvemonth moreover started, resulting successful aggregate knee surgeries.
Sam Darnold was named Minnesota's starter, and wholly revitalized a profession that was connected life support, and he earned himself a $100 cardinal statement this offseason.
Rodgers would person immoderate decent weapons to target successful Pittsburgh, including DK Metcalf, Robert Woods and Pat Freiermuth, but there's nary mobility that a group of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson is much enticing.
McCarthy could travel backmost and beryllium fine, and Rodgers whitethorn person to either judge nan occupation pinch nan Steelers (if it's moreover still unfastened then) aliases retire.
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