NFL insider explains why he feels Steelers should make this Aaron Rodgers decision

Former NFL general manager/current ESPN personality Mike Tannenbaum and Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio are among analysts who now believe the Pittsburgh Steelers should want to avoid the full "Aaron Rodgers Experience" after Rodgers indicated during a recent appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" that he's not close to signing a deal with the organization. 

For an article published on Monday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated explained why he "would still do what I need to sign" Rodgers if Breer were running the Steelers this spring. 

"The reality is Pittsburgh’s in a short championship window,"
Breer said. "A young offensive line has a chance to become a real strength in 2025, with nearly the whole group on rookie contracts. (Wide receiver) DK Metcalf has arrived. (Pass-rusher) T.J. Watt will be turning 31. (Safety) Minkah Fitzpatrick’s 29. And (defensive lineman) Cam Heyward’s at the end of his career. The time is now. They have the infrastructure to make this work for Rodgers, where he can just come in and play quarterback and not have to change a franchise’s fortunes. They also have a coordinator (Arthur Smith) who could easily build an offense for him."

Per Ross McCorkle of Steelers Depot, former NFL player and current ESPN analyst Damien Woody said during Monday's edition of the "Get Up" program that he "would be beside myself knowing that we could possibly be going into the regular season with Mason Rudolph as our starting quarterback" if Woody was a veteran player on the Pittsburgh roster this spring. 

It appears Steelers general manager Omar Khan understands some of his players could share Woody's opinion, as a Monday report suggested Pittsburgh could consider trading for Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons before training-camp practices get underway later this summer. 

Cousins has a full no-trade clause attached to his contract that could allow him to block a move to a team that won't name him its 2025 Week 1 starter. 

Breer added that Rodgers showed during portions of the New York Jets' 2024 season that he "still has some bullets left in the gun." For example, the future Hall of Famer passed for 289 yards and three touchdowns in a Week 15 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Rodgers later completed 23-of-36 pass attempts for 274 yards with four scores and one interception in New York's 32-20 Week 18 win over the Miami Dolphins.

On paper, whatever Rodgers is at this stage of his career would probably be an upgrade at quarterback over Rudolph for the win-now Steelers. That's all well and good, but it doesn't mean Rodgers will put pen to paper on a contract to join Pittsburgh anytime soon.