Why Steelers 'were never really concerned' during prolonged Aaron Rodgers saga

While it's no secret that future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers visited the Pittsburgh Steelers on March 21, he only officially signed a one-year contract to join the club over this past weekend. 

Some wondered throughout the process if people within the Steelers were worried that the often enigmatic Rodgers could essentially leave the franchise at the altar. For a piece published on Monday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated explained why Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith never lost confidence that Rodgers would be the club's 2025 Week 1 QB1. 

"The sides resolved to stay in touch," Breer wrote about what happened between Rodgers and the Steelers following March 21. "There weren’t regularly scheduled check-ins, but Rodgers would call Tomlin and Smith every now and again, which colors why the Steelers were never really concerned that Rodgers would back out on them."

The Steelers completing voluntary springtime workouts with longtime backup Mason Rudolph serving as their temporary starter indicated that general manager Omar Khan wasn't yet done adding to Pittsburgh's quarterback room. It was reported on June 6 that Rodgers and Smith had "exchanged ideas" regarding Pittsburgh's offense for the upcoming season "over the past few weeks."

Also on Friday, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter claimed that the Steelers "were in on Matthew Stafford and couldn't get" a trade done with the Los Angeles Rams for Stafford's services earlier this year. Schefter added that Pittsburgh also "tried to re-sign Justin Fields" before Fields left the Steelers to sign with the New York Jets in free agency. 

Fields went 4-2 as Pittsburgh's starter last season before Tomlin turned to veteran Russell Wilson from Week 7 through the team's wild-card playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Wilson spent the campaign's first six weeks recovering from a lingering calf problem. 

"The Steelers touched base with the Rams on Stafford but never believed Stafford would sign off on leaving Los Angeles," Breer shared. "...Meanwhile, [the Steelers] stayed in touch with Fields' camp, as the Jets came with an offer of $20M per year and the promise of being their undisputed starter. By then, the Steelers were in discussions with Rodgers, who’d also drawn interest from the Giants."

Breer noted that the Steelers and Rodgers built up plenty of "trust" throughout the offseason up until the 41-year-old told the club last week that he would sign his contract in time to report for Pittsburgh's mandatory minicamp that's scheduled to run from Tuesday through Thursday. 

Rodgers is expected to speak with reporters after Tuesday’s minicamp practice, so perhaps he'll give more information at that time about when he realized he wanted to play for the Steelers through at least January 2026.