Five reasons the Steelers should forget about Aaron Rodgers

The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to wait for a decision from Aaron Rodgers, but is he worth it?

Rodgers has dragged out his free-agency saga a lot longer than expected. It may be time for the Steelers to move on and let it go. Let's examine the reasons why:

Pittsburgh is not Rodgers' first choice

Rodgers has been dragging his feet since the start of free agency, and there seems to be one primary reason for that — he wants to play for the Minnesota Vikings. The interest is not mutual, however, as the Vikings are fully committed to J.J. McCarthy.

Rodgers is reportedly hoping that changes at some point this offseason. There is no telling how long the 41-year-old is willing to wait to see if McCarthy is fully recovered from knee surgery and ready to become an NFL starter. For now, the Steelers seem content with letting Rodgers think it over.

Rodgers will not come cheap

The Steelers have plenty of money to sign Rodgers. They still have nearly $35M in salary-cap space, according to the latest figures from Spotrac. That does not mean they should pay Rodgers like an elite starting quarterback following a season in which he looked quite ordinary.

There has been talk that Rodgers wants at least $35M-40M per year, and he may ask for a two-year commitment. That is a lot of money for a player who is nowhere near his prime, even if he is a four-time NFL MVP.

The Steelers could go younger

The Steelers went 10-7 last season and reached the playoffs with Russell Wilson as their starter. They obviously believe Rodgers can lead them on a deeper postseason run than Wilson did, but should they?

Rodgers led the Jets to a 5-12 record last season. Granted, the roster in Pittsburgh was far superior to that in New York, but it has been a while since Rodgers looked like a player who can singlehandedly win games for his team. If the Steelers sign Rodgers, they run the risk of not being able to develop their quarterback of the future, whoever that may be.

Rodgers can't move like he used to

Rodgers used to torment defenses with his ability to extend plays and make mind-blowing throws on the run. While he showed brief flashes of the old Rodgers last season, he is nowhere near as mobile as he was prior to tearing his Achilles in 2023.

In 17 games last season, Rodgers posted average numbers with 3,897 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The supporting cast was not all that bad, either. Rodgers had two excellent receivers in Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams and a playmaking running back in Breece Hall. His lack of mobility is one of the primary reasons he was unable to take advantage of the talent around him.

Rodgers is thinking about retirement

It has long been said that if a player or coach is thinking about retirement, he or she is already retired. It sounds like Rodgers has given some thought to retiring this offseason, and that would not be the first time he has done so.

Rodgers contemplated retirement on his infamous darkness retreat before the Green Pay Packers traded him to the Jets. At some point, you have to wonder just how committed a player is if he has given that much thought to calling it a career.