Aaron Rodgers visits with Steelers but leaves without a deal

Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Mar 21, 2025

Published in Football

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PITTSBURGH — Aaron Rodgers visited the Steelers' facility on Friday and left without a deal after meeting with coach Mike Tomlin, general manager Omar Khan and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, sources have told the Post-Gazette.

However, his departure does not preclude the possibility the four-time league MVP could still reach agreement with the Steelers, sources said.

The move to sign Rodgers would be one of the biggest free-agent acquisitions in the team’s history and end a nearly two-weeklong dalliance in which the former Green Bay Packers quarterback was reported to be involved in talks with the New York Giants and possibly Minnesota Vikings.

Sources said the delay in reaching an agreement with Rodgers was not about money but more about him taking his time to make a decision.

It would be the second blockbuster move made by the Steelers, who traded to get two-time Pro Bowl receiver DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks. Rodgers would be brought in as the starter with Mason Rudolph, who signed a two-year, $8 million deal last week, scheduled to be the backup.

Going after Rodgers, the league’s seventh-leading all-time passer, points to the urgency the Steelers have about winning a playoff game and trying to end their embarrassing eight-year drought instead of waiting to develop another quarterback.

But Rodgers will be 42 in December, and the decision to sign him for just one year might also be an indication the Steelers could intend to take a quarterback in the draft next month.

Rodgers spent 18 seasons with the Packers, with whom he was named to 10 Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl in the 2010 season. He was named the league’s MVP in 2011, 2014, 2020 and 2021 and leads all active quarterbacks with 62,952 passing yards and 503 touchdowns. He spent the past two seasons with the New York Jets.

In 17 games with the Jets in 2024, Rodgers threw for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns but only managed to win five games.

The Steelers decided to enter discussions with Rodgers and Sam Darnold when it became apparent Justin Fields wanted to test his value in the free-agent market.

It turned out to be a good move for Fields, who signed a two-year, $40 million deal with $30 million guaranteed with the New York Jets.

When Darnold signed a three-year deal worth a reported $110 million with the Seahawks, it reduced the Steelers’ options and turned them back to Rodgers.

This would mark the second year in a row the Steelers have signed a former Super Bowl-winning quarterback with the hope of trying to advance in the postseason. But after a hot start in which he won six of his first seven games, Russell Wilson and the Steelers lost the final five games of the 2024 season, including a wild-card playoff game in Baltimore.

Since Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season, Rodgers would become the fourth different quarterback in four years to start their season opener.