Steelers' Mike McCarthy, Art Rooney II give Aaron Rodgers updates after free-agent tender move

As shared by Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot, Pittsburgh Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly of "The Pat McAfee Show" said during a Wednesday appearance on Pittsburgh's 93.7 The Fan that Aaron Rodgers "didn't care" that the Steelers recently placed a rarely-used unrestricted free agent tender on the veteran quarterback.

Later on Wednesday, Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy was asked during an interview with Mark Madden on local radio station 105.9 The X about how the move may impact Rodgers' future with the organization. 

Steelers' Aaron Rodgers move was merely "a business transaction"

"It really doesn't have any effect on it," McCarthy explained, according to Kozora. "It's just really a business transaction that puts us in position to potentially gain a compensatory pick down the road. Frankly, if we didn't do our administrative duty here, we should be criticized for it. That's the only intent of this process."

Using the tender ensures that Pittsburgh will receive a compensatory draft pick if Rodgers signs with another team before July 22 or the first day of the club's training camp, whichever comes later. After that date, the Steelers would have exclusive negotiating rights for the 42-year-old who reportedly is not coveted by any other franchise. 

Steelers placing the tender on Aaron Rodgers not a "big deal"

"The main thing that the tender gives us is the potential for a comp pick if Aaron would choose to go to another team," Steelers president Art Rooney II later said during an NFL Network appearance, per Nick Shook of the league's website. "We don't expect that, but by the same token, you never know. It's just something we had an opportunity to protect if needed. The deadline was Monday, so if we were going to do it, we had to pull the trigger on Monday. We alerted Aaron and his representative that we were going to do it, and so not a real big deal. Just something that in the unlikely event he goes somewhere else, we are eligible for a comp pick."

Kaboly has suggested on multiple occasions that he has reason to believe Rodgers will re-sign with the Steelers before the organized team practice activity portion of the club's offseason program begins on May 18. Rooney didn't confirm that's the case, but he also doesn't seem to be losing sleep over the situation. 

"He's been keeping us up to date on his plans," Rooney added about Rodgers. "Even though I thought it probably would have been concluded by now, I think we will come to a conclusion here in the next few weeks."

It sounds like Rooney would be surprised if Rodgers isn't soon part of a quarterback room currently occupied by 2025 rookie Will Howard, longtime backup Mason Rudolph and 2026 third-round draft pick Drew Allar. That said, it also appears that fans may have to wait a few more weeks before Rodgers confirms his plans for the upcoming season.