Insider clarifies report about Aaron Rodgers being Steelers' 'third' QB option

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter generated headlines ahead of this past weekend when he revealed that the Pittsburgh Steelers attempted to re-sign quarterback Justin Fields and trade for Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams before Pittsburgh pivoted to pursuing Aaron Rodgers in free agency. 

During a recent appearance on Columbus sports radio station 97.1 The Fan, Schefter expanded on his original comments. 

"It really was as much chronological as it was anything else," Schefter explained, as shared by Jack Markowski of Sports Illustrated. "They started in the offseason, and the initial calls were about acquiring Matthew Stafford, and they had conversations with the Rams about trading for him ... And once it didn't get done, they continued during that time talking with Justin Fields."

While the Rams allowed Stafford to explore a trade to either the New York Giants or Las Vegas Raiders following the 2024 season, it's now clear that he never intended to leave his current club this past winter. He ultimately worked out an agreement to remain Los Angeles' starter for at least one more campaign. 

As for Fields, Schefter indicated that the 26-year-old "felt like it was in his best interest to move on" from the Steelers after he was benched by head coach Mike Tomlin in favor of Russell Wilson last fall. Fields guided Pittsburgh to four wins across the first six games of the 2024 season as Wilson recovered from a lingering calf problem, but Wilson remained atop the depth chart from Week 7 through a wild-card playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

In the end, Fields signed a two-year, $40M contract that included $30M guaranteed to join the New York Jets back in March. To compare, Rodgers and the Steelers agreed to a one-year, $13.65M deal that included $10M in guaranteed money and has a maximum value of $19.5M earlier in June. 

"In the sequence it went, he wound up being the third option," Schefter added about how Rodgers entered the Steelers' mandatory minicamp as their QB1. "They didn't jump out of the gate initially on Aaron Rodgers. They were all-in on Stafford. It didn't get done. They shifted their focus to Fields. It didn't get done. They then went on to Aaron Rodgers. That's the way it came down."

Regardless of what Schefter or others say, the perception exists that Tomlin preferred to have Rodgers over Fields as Pittsburgh's starter for 2025. If nothing else, it could be interesting to see if Tomlin and Fields speak with each other after the Jets face the Steelers at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 7.