Aaron Rodgers only has one logical decision to make at this point

As the NFL world continues to wait for Aaron Rodgers to make his decision, it's clear he only really has one logical choice to make at this point. Based on his remaining options and the landscape of the league, Rodgers should either retire or cap off his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

In recent days, two key events occurred that make a decision seem imminent. First, the Minnesota Vikings, the team some felt he was holding out hope would want him, officially said no and made their intentions to start the J.J. McCarthy era known. The Vikings might be adding a veteran quarterback, but not one to compete with McCarthy for the starting job. 

Then, and maybe more telling, Rodgers took a trip to Pittsburgh to visit the Steelers' facility and meet with members of the organization. But of course, he then left town without agreeing to a deal. 

But what about the New York Giants, the other team wrapped up in the dance with Rodgers? Well, the Giants are right where logic suggests they should be in terms of Rodgers — nowhere. 

While the Giants haven't been officially eliminated, their actions suggest they know their place. New York did sign veteran journeyman Jameis Winston to a two-year, $8 million deal. Of course, signing Winston to a low-end deal doesn't mean they couldn't also bring in Rodgers. However, there's no reason for Rodgers to even consider playing for the NFC's New York franchise. 

Like the Steelers, the Giants are one of the NFL's marquee franchises. But unlike the Steelers, the Giants don't offer the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer a chance to compete. 

Pittsburgh has plenty of issues that could still prevent it from truly contending, regardless if Rodgers proves to be a short-term quarterback upgrade, but having Mike Tomlin does mean a winning season. Most importantly, the Steelers are coming off back-to-back postseason appearances.  

Conversely, the Giants were 3-14 in 2024, have nine combined wins in two years and have only reached the playoffs once in the past eight seasons. There's just as wide of a gap between the Steelers and the Giants as most believe there is between the Steelers and the Chiefs as far as coming out of the AFC and reaching a Super Bowl. 

Rodgers' value on the open market isn't what it would've been during his prime. And there's reason to wonder if his body can hold up throughout an entire season. At the same time, Rodgers threw for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns. He's also now further removed from Achilles surgery and should be the healthiest he's been since entering his first year with the Jets in 2023. 

Despite a miserable last two years, Rodgers is a Hall of Fame lock and will go down as a legend of the game. It makes sense he wants to end his career on a better note, but trading one dysfunctional New York franchise for another just isn't the way to make that happen. 

For Rodgers, the decision is easy — it's either retire or stay in the AFC and move to Pittsburgh. But as "Rodgers Watch" always goes, only time will tell, and no one truly knows when he makes up his mind.