Earlier this offseason, April 9 appeared to be the date Aaron Rodgers would announce he was signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the upcoming season. “Big Night AHT“ came and went for Pat McAfee without Rodgers showing up.
So did the draft.
The Steelers are still expected to sign the four-time NFL MVP. But no one seems to know why the delay is or when Rodgers will sign.
Why the Pittsburgh Steelers might be waiting
Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, someone who knows Rodgers suggested that he’s waiting for voluntary minicamp practices to be over to sign with the Steelers. Rodgers doesn’t like participating in voluntary OTAs, and waiting until they’re over is less distracting for Pittsburgh.
“Yes, it’s a distraction to have Rodgers linked to the Steelers without signing a contract. If, however, he had signed but stayed away from the first two phases of the offseason program Rodgers, it would have led to more questions and scrutiny,” Florio wrote. Rodgers has always been opposed to the first two phases of the offseason program.
“By not agreeing to terms until the third phase looms, he avoids the offseason program until the offseason program becomes, from Rodgers’s perspective, highly relevant. It’s a simple solution. Rodgers informally tells the Steelers he’ll be signing, eventually. He gets the playbook and other information he’ll need to prepare for OTAs, and he shows up for the six days of 2025 OTAs and… the mandatory minicamp that caps the offseason program.”
June 10th might be the deadline for Aaron Rodgers
If true, Steelers fans might be waiting close to a month before they feel secure knowing their team has a QB1 for the upcoming season.
Pittsburgh’s final voluntary OTA will happen on June 5. Mandatory minicamp will begin on June 10 and end on June 12.
If Rodgers is waiting for mandatory minicamp to begin to sign, June 10 becomes the new deadline for the Steelers and Rodgers.
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