Steelers under fire for Aaron Rodgers decision: Pittsburgh's 'worst' move of offseason

The Pittsburgh Steelers and MVP-winning quarterback Aaron Rodgers are back together for one more season, and Rodgers says that this will mark the final season of his career.

While having Rodgers back on the roster adds one more year of stability for the Steelers, not everyone is reacting kindly to the move.

In a Thursday piece for ESPN, Bill Barnwell ripped the Steelers for their quarterback situation, including the Rodgers move. Specifically, Barnwell doesn't care for Pittsburgh giving Rodgers a "big raise" and not being "competitive" in looking at other veteran signal-callers during the offseason.

"On the veteran side, the Steelers gave Aaron Rodgers halfway through May to decide on his future before re-signing the legendary quarterback to a one-year deal, reportedly giving him a big raise in the process," he states in the piece. "They weren't competitive with other veteran quarterbacks, including Kyler Murray, Kirk Cousins and Joe Flacco, all of whom might project to be better than Rodgers in 2026."

Do the Steelers have a quarterback of the future?

Barnwell also asks if there's really a "quarterback of the future" in the Steelers' lineup. Looking at the signal-callers in their lineup now, which includes Will Howard, Drew Allar and Mason Rudolph, there doesn't appear to be a standout for the future. Rookie Allar could evolve into that, but it's too early to tell.

"It's possible that the Steelers unlock something in Allar," he says, "but I worry that we're going to be facing this exact same conundrum at quarterback in Pittsburgh next offseason."

A lot can happen in a year. For now, the Steelers have bought themselves time with Rodgers, and maybe that's all they need in the moment. It's not like securing a different veteran would have made them any more prepared for the future. With Rodgers holding down the fort for one more year, a lot can happen in the coming months to secure a quarterback of the future.