Soul-Bound: Rodgers Looked Inward for Steelers Signing

At long last, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a starting quarterback. The ink is dry on veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ one-year, $13.7 million deal, vaulting him to the top of the depth chart and boosting Pittsburgh’s playoff odds.

On Monday, he got to know some of his teammates at defensive end Cam Heyward’s charity golf event. A day later, he spoke to reporters for the first time at Steelers minicamp.

In doing so, he gave the Pittsburgh faithful everything they had been waiting for. He was vague about his decision-making process, revealed that he was married, and generated some excitement about the team’s chances.

Perhaps the most interesting tidbit of Rodgers’ comments was his introspection. Rodgers said his soul led him to sign with the Steelers, rather than his ego.

“A lot of decisions that I’ve made over my career and in life from strictly the ego, even if they turn out well, are always unfulfilling. But the decisions made from the soul are usually pretty fulfilling. This is a decision that was best for my soul,” Rodgers said, via Nick Farabaugh. “I just want to have fun here. I want to enjoy the game. The game has given me a ton. It’s hard to think of anything in my life that’s positive that wasn’t impacted by, directly or indirectly, my playing this game.”

It has long been the expectation that Rodgers would come to an agreement with Pittsburgh. Still, it’s a relief for fans who had been uneasy about the situation under center. It seems that offensive coordinator Arthur Smith had known this was coming, building his offense around the Canton-bound passer earlier in the offseason.

Rodgers is obviously an upgrade and helps the Steelers in the immediate future. His impact could very well linger well past his farewell tour.

“I just want to give back to the game, enjoy it, pass on my knowledge to my teammates, and try to find ways to help lead the team,” Rodgers said.

Sixth-round rookie passer Will Howard has the most to gain from Rodgers’ signing, although it rules out 2025 playing time. With two decades of experience entering the room, Pittsburgh is better prepared to take on the challenges of today and tomorrow. The headlines and controversies might be inevitable, but the Steelers know what they’ve signed up for. In the meantime, Pittsburgh is happy Rodgers has arrived, regardless of how he came to his decision.