NFL insider questions Steelers' true feelings on Aaron Rodgers

Since January, individuals within the Pittsburgh Steelers such as general manager Omar Khan and recently hired head coach Mike McCarthy have told just about anybody who will listen that they want 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers to serve as the club's starting quarterback for another season. 

During the latest edition of the "Inside Coverage" podcast, NFL insider Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports openly questioned the Steelers' true feelings regarding a Rodgers reunion that has seemed inevitable for some time. 

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"I understand that Omar Khan's top job is not to tell us the truth when he needs leverage in negotiations," Epstein explained, per Jake Brockhoff of Steelers Depot. "I also think we should keep that in mind, that on face value, when they talked about Aaron Rodgers, you would think this is a team that is absolutely, 'Aaron, if you want it, we're in, just let us know.' And then when you start to peel it back, I'm not that sure that that's the case." 

Interestingly, Epstein shared this take shortly after Khan said that he "wouldn't necessarily classify it as a worst-case scenario" if Rodgers retires instead of playing for the Steelers next season. Recent rumors have linked Rodgers with a Minnesota Vikings side he reportedly wanted to join last offseason, but an update shared this week noted that the "feeling" around the league is that Rodgers will re-sign with Pittsburgh by "mid-March." 

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"I don't think we should for sure count them out of the bidding for other guys," Epstein added. "That middle-class quarterback, so to say, who they feel like has potential that wasn't met at an earlier stop, which makes me wonder about Malik Willis, or even Kyler Murray."

Willis is expected to become the top available quarterback in free agency when the new league year opens on March 11, but it's unknown if the Steelers would want to get into a bidding war to land the current Green Bay Packers backup. Murray and the Arizona Cardinals seem headed toward an ugly divorce, but "questions about his work ethic" and "concerns about his leadership" could scare some teams off.