The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to wait for quarterback Aaron Rodgers to make up his mind. The Steelers have been largely linked to signing Rodgers, who is also contemplating retirement, this summer. Pittsburgh will begin OTAs on May 27, and yet they remain in limbo while awaiting their potential starting QB to finalize his decision.
Steelers president Art Rooney II has routinely been asked how long he'll wait for Rodgers to announce his intentions. Rooney II said the Steelers would wait, "not forever, but a little while longer" on April 1. Asked again about the timeline at this week's owner meetings, he replied, "a little while longer."
#Steelers president Art Rooney II -- who said April 1 that the Steelers will wait "not forever, but a little while longer" for Aaron Rodgers -- delivered a similar line on his way out of Wednesday's owners meetings.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) May 22, 2025
“A little while longer. I’ll say the same thing," he said.
The Steelers will hold six total OTA practices, ranging from May 27 to June 5. If Rodgers is still undecided, the Steelers should set a hard deadline for Tuesday, June 10. That's the date head coach Mike Tomlin is scheduled to begin a three-day mandatory minicamp. Ideally, your starting quarterback would be under contract and present for anything mandatory.
That will represent the conclusion of Phase Three, the final phase of the offseason program prior to players reporting to training camp. If Rodgers isn’t willing to acclimate to his new surroundings by then, he’s not committed enough to being the Steelers’ quarterback. The Steelers shouldn't allow Rodgers to hold them hostage until then.
The Steelers have treated the offseason as if Rodgers is going to be their quarterback. They pursued the backup tier of alternative QBs in free agency, agreeing to reunite with Mason Rudolph via a two-year, $7.5 million contract. Rudolph has entered the offseason program as the stand-in starting quarterback.
General manager Omar Khan also passed on multiple opportunities to select a high-ranking QB prospect during the 2025 NFL Draft. Jaxson Dart went just four overall selections after the Steelers chose Derrick Harmon at No. 21 overall. The Steelers didn't pull the trigger on a quarterback until the sixth round, landing Ohio State's Will Howard with the 185th pick, even passing on Shedeur Sanders in the fourth round.
If the Steelers don't land Rodgers, they'll enter the 2025 campaign with one of the most uninspiring quarterback rooms in the league. While Rudolph performed semi-admirably for them in 2023, he was dreadful for the 3-14 Tennessee Titans last season. Howard, a sixth-round rookie, is unlikely to dethrone Rudolph as the starter. The Steelers also signed Skylar Thompson earlier this offseason, but he doesn't alter the situation in any way.
Tomlin consistently has the Steelers overachieving, but perhaps this would finally be the year they bottom out if Rodgers chooses retirement. The early expectation is that they'd possess a significant interest in landing a quarterback during the 2026 NFL Draft. Khan and Tomlin are slated to be equipped with 12 total selections, indicating they are gearing up for a QB.
The Rodgers saga appears destined to drag on a little while longer despite the Steelers beginning OTAs. Rooney II, Khan, and Tomlin are surely growing tired of Rodgers' antics and sideshow. The Steelers should cut off communication if a decision isn't reached by mandatory minicamp on June 10.
