WR Michael Pittman Jr. makes Aaron Rodgers prediction after joining Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't wait to learn if Aaron Rodgers will return to serve as their starting quarterback for another season before they acquired wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. from the Indianapolis Colts and then signed him to a three-year, $59M contract extension.

During a Monday appearance on the FanDuel TV "Up & Adams" program, Pittman revealed that he has worked out with Rodgers in the past. Pittman also offered a prediction regarding the 42-year-old's short-term future. 

Does Michael Pittman Jr. expect to catch passes thrown by Aaron Rodgers this fall? 

"I think that he wants to play," Pittman said about Rodgers. "Just knowing Aaron prior to this, I just think that he's going to try to play as long as he can." 

Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Omar Khan allegedly "truly don't know" if Rodgers will sign another one-year contract with the club or ride off into the sunset of retirement. There has been no real indication throughout the offseason that any other team is interested in signing Rodgers or that he would start fresh with a different organization later this year. 

Last offseason, Rodgers remained unsigned until June. There has reportedly been "optimism in the Steelers’ building" that the future Hall of Famer will be back atop the Pittsburgh depth chart at some point this spring, but nothing is certain until he puts pen to paper on a deal. 

Why Michael Pittman Jr. made this Aaron Rodgers decision

On Monday, Pittman shared that he has not yet spoken with Rodgers since joining the Steelers. 

"I'm trying to give him space, you know, cause Aaron's a guy that he likes his space," Pittman added about Rodgers during the interview. "Like, he likes to get refreshed. I didn't want to just get signed and then blow him up and be like, 'Hey Aaron, what's the deal?' Just give him time, you know, him and his wife, they got to handle some things, and then he will decide if he wants to come back or not." 

Pittman also suggested that he's been led to believe the Steelers will give Rodgers all the "time that he needs" to make a decision about playing, in part because Khan and McCarthy are fine with having longtime backup Mason Rudolph and 2025 rookie Will Howard taking snaps during springtime workouts. 

In short, it sounds like this latest Rodgers-related saga could drag on into April.