Steelers legend has surprising take on latest Aaron Rodgers saga

Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter is among the noteworthy members of the NFL community who have criticized quarterback Aaron Rodgers for being "selfish" and not confirming whether or not he will serve as the Pittsburgh Steelers' starting quarterback for the 2026 season. 

During a recent chat with Ryan Morik of Fox News Digital, Steelers legend and Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis shared that he thinks longtime backup Mason Rudolph and 2025 rookie Will Howard could benefit from Rodgers not being with the team this spring. 

Are there "positives" for Steelers to Aaron Rodgers not being signed? 

"There is an opportunity for our No. 2 guy to get a lot of reps, a lot of opportunity, right? So there's some positives to this, because you're letting the young guys get an opportunity to run the offense and kind of learn the offense as they go," Bettis said about Rodgers remaining unsigned. 

The Steelers reportedly would like to know Rodgers' plans before the 2026 NFL Draft gets underway in Pittsburgh on April 23. However, it's also assumed that Pittsburgh hasn't set any kind of deadline for a decision after the club was happy to let quarterbacks such as Malik Willis, Tua Tagovailoa, Kyler Murray and Kirk Cousins sign elsewhere. 

"When you have no alternative, then you have no choice," Bettis said about the Steelers waiting Rodgers out. "And I think there's some players that are afforded a little bit more latitude than others, and Aaron Rodgers is one of them, especially when you are limited from a quarterback perspective, in terms of depth and experience, right?"

Would Jerome Bettis be upset with Aaron Rodgers amid another offseason saga? 

There was a time last offseason when it appeared that some Steelers players were annoyed that Rodgers didn't officially sign with the club until June. He ultimately became a popular figure in the locker room, and Bettis seems to think this latest Rodgers-related saga won't cause any issues for the Steelers behind the scenes. 

"I'd be like, what's going on? What are we doing? But now that you went through it, you know the value, you know that Aaron is a team player, right? He understands the culture," Bettis added. "So, now it's not that big of a concern." 

Of course, Bettis likely will feel differently if Rodgers ultimately retires and leaves the Steelers without a proven QB1 on their roster. As Morik pointed out, however, it seems "in all likelihood that Rodgers will return to Pittsburgh" for one more campaign.