State of our former QB, Aaron Rodgers

[Heyjoe4]

Rodgers is what 43 years old now? How many 43-year olds play in the NFL? To me, it's his life, his career, his decision. I don't blame him one bit for taking his time to make that decision. To be 43 and take that physical beating? That's why there aren't many 43 year olds in the NFL.

I agree. I've had to make a number of decisions in my life with significant implications, and it takes time. It's not ok to let the indecision period go on and on, but it does take some time.

Seems to me Rodgers knows whether he wants to play or not, he is just waiting on a team willing to sign him as a one-year starting QB. Anyone know if there are suitors for Rodgers?

Maybe the Raiders could sign him to a one year deal for $5-$10 mil to be the starting QB, and use that year to mentor the young and talented Mendoza? I just don't know why any player would willingly go to the Raiders.

 

[Heyjoe4]

No surprise, everyone's favorite Soap Opera QB is in the News Cycle again. As Rodgers once again is pulling his "Not sure if I want to play football anymore" act, it was the Steelers turn to make a move. This time it is the Steelers pulling a bit of a Passive Aggressive move back on Rodgers by slapping a rarely used tag on him. The Steelers put the right of first refusal tag on Rodgers. Really all that means is that they can match another teams offer to Rodgers and if they don't, then they become eligible for a 2027 Comp. pick for the loss of Rodgers.

I can only guess that Rodgers views this tag as an insult to him.

Steelers place rare right-of-first-refusal tag on QB Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers remain in limbo but Pittsburgh took an extra step to protect itself at quarterback.

www.cbssports.com

Seems like a childish move by the Steelers. They're trying to get a comp pick for him, so in a way it makes sense. What team is willing to give up a comp pick for a one-year player?

Rodgers certainly isn't without fault when it comes to playing mind games this time of year. As you say, he's our favorite Soap Opera QB, where each day is almost exactly the same as the last, with very, very little movement in the story's arc.

It does seem like the only place that makes sense for all is Pittsburgh. First of all, Rodgers would be arguably their best option at QB given the other QBs they have. Second, it may be the only team willing to give Rodgers the starting QB job for a year.

Personally I'd like to see him play. I watched some of his play last year, and he still has unique vision and a strong arm. He was never very mobile, and now he's almost immobile, making him a big target for opposing Ds.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Seems to me Rodgers knows whether he wants to play or not, he is just waiting on a team willing to sign him as a one-year starting QB. Anyone know if there are suitors for Rodgers?

He isn't waiting for a team that wants to sign him, the Steelers have been telling him that they want him back for months. Yet, he is still playing the same game as he played in Green Bay. He has done this at least 4 times that I can recall and with all 3 teams that he has already played for; Packers, Jets, Steelers.

This game he plays forces teams to hold off on contingency plans for who their starting QB is going to be.

I'll say it again, Rodgers is a guy that states that he doesn't like drama, yet he loves creating it and then pretending to be the victim of it. Traits of a narcissist or a manipulative individual.

 

[Magooch]

Arizona would seem like a sensible enough option IMO except that the division's brutal

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Arizona would seem like a sensible enough option IMO except that the division's brutal

I'm sure he would prefer playing in the dome in Arizona for their scheduled 9 home games. Not to mention the only 2 potential "cold weather" road games for the Cardinals are against the Chiefs and Giants. The Steelers have only 4 potential "warm weather" opponents: Jaguars, Saints, Buccaneers, Titans.

I think the door for him ever playing for the Vikings was slammed shut when they signed Murray.

 

[gopkrs]

He isn't waiting for a team that wants to sign him, the Steelers have been telling him that they want him back for months. Yet, he is still playing the same game as he played in Green Bay. He has done this at least 4 times that I can recall and with all 3 teams that he has already played for; Packers, Jets, Steelers.

This game he plays forces teams to hold off on contingency plans for who their starting QB is going to be.

I'll say it again, Rodgers is a guy that states that he doesn't like drama, yet he loves creating it and then pretending to be the victim of it. Traits of a narcissist or a manipulative individual.

imho the steelers would be pretty stupid if they haven't been thinking about their QB situation without Rodgers. Don't see how Rodgers affects that at all. Maybe they have been negligent. Maybe they just don't see anyone. But no way is it Rodger's fault.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

imho the steelers would be pretty stupid if they haven't been thinking about their QB situation without Rodgers. Don't see how Rodgers affects that at all. Maybe they have been negligent. Maybe they just don't see anyone. But no way is it Rodger's fault.

I 1000% disagree with the bolded portion.

If this was any position other then starting QB, I would agree with you. You just don't go out and pay a starting QB to play for you, if Aaron Rodgers is in your plan as your future starter. Doing so is not only pricey, but we all know how A-Rod would react to it. The Steelers were a playoff team last year and probably plan on being one this season, this isn't a team in rebuild mode, so a quality starting QB is important.

To be clear, I am not feeling sorry for the Steelers one iota. As a Packer fan I bought into the Aaron Rodgers Show every season until Gute finally said enough is enough. So if anything, I am merely laughing at the Steelers for being the 3rd team and fan base to have fallen into the Aaron Rodgers trap.

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[milani]

Seems like a childish move by the Steelers. They're trying to get a comp pick for him, so in a way it makes sense. What team is willing to give up a comp pick for a one-year player?

Rodgers certainly isn't without fault when it comes to playing mind games this time of year. As you say, he's our favorite Soap Opera QB, where each day is almost exactly the same as the last, with very, very little movement in the story's arc.

It does seem like the only place that makes sense for all is Pittsburgh. First of all, Rodgers would be arguably their best option at QB given the other QBs they have. Second, it may be the only team willing to give Rodgers the starting QB job for a year.

Personally I'd like to see him play. I watched some of his play last year, and he still has unique vision and a strong arm. He was never very mobile, and now he's almost immobile, making him a big target for opposing Ds.

It is not our worry any longer. But God forbid, if Rodgers was sitting at home in the Fall and something serious happened to Love he would be there expecting a call.

 

[milani]

I agree. I've had to make a number of decisions in my life with significant implications, and it takes time. It's not ok to let the indecision period go on and on, but it does take some time.

Seems to me Rodgers knows whether he wants to play or not, he is just waiting on a team willing to sign him as a one-year starting QB. Anyone know if there are suitors for Rodgers?

Maybe the Raiders could sign him to a one year deal for $5-$10 mil to be the starting QB, and use that year to mentor the young and talented Mendoza? I just don't know why any player would willingly go to the Raiders.

Very consistent with his response methods over the years.

 

[Magooch]

In some ways I think that it is a knife that cuts both ways...The Steelers don't "owe" Rodgers anything and are well within their rights to take steps to protect themselves and/or put a contingency plan in place. If that irritates Rodgers, well, that's too bad, man.

But at the same time, Rodgers doesn't "owe" the Steelers a decision on any timetable other than his own, and he is well within HIS rights to take whatever steps he deems appropriate to determine his future. And if that irritates the Steelers, well, do something about it!

I also think it's worth keeping in mind that Rodgers really kind of did Pittsburgh a solid last year by taking a contract that was dramatically under "market value" at just 13.65m. He could've easily asked for double that and likely could've got it. And this year's number is also an eminently-affordable ~15m. So I understand the Steeler's annoyances with having things dragged out, but it's also a problem of their own making, and there's not an easy "out". Unless they are okay with going into the season with Will Howard or Drew Allar or whatever... any "established" quarterback is going to cost you every bit as much as Rodgers. So keeping him on as your QB allows you some semblance of competent and experienced QB play AND affords you a LOT more flexibility in the rest of your roster construction. The Steelers only have something like 5m in effective cap space right now; if Rodgers (or someone else) is making even 30m a year it's going to cause a lot of problems and tough decisions elsewhere on the roster.

Here is just a smattering of the guys who are making less than Rodgers AND are not on rookie contracts:
Kirk Cousins 11.3m
Justin Fields 11m
Marcus Mariota 7m
Davis Mills 7m
Jacoby Brissett 6.25m
Jarret Stidham 6m
Joe Flacco 6m
Gardner Minshew 5.75m
Mitchell Trubisky 5.25m
Jameis Winston 4m
Kenny Pickett 4m
Mason Rudolph 3.75m (who of course is already in-house)
Andy Dalton 3.5m
Mac Jones 3.5m
Geno Smith 3.3
Carson Wentz 3m

So that's the bind the Steelers find themselves in. Your options are basically:

A - Draft a QB this year (with Mendoza and Simpson already gone by the time you're picking)
B - Start a rookie/inexperienced QB and basically call the season a wash
C - sign a different veteran QB and understand that they are all probably going to be worse for you
D - wait for Rodgers to figure it out; if he plays you probably get the best QB that was reasonably available to you, and if he decides to quit/leave then you still have option B/C on the table

 

[gopkrs]

In some ways I think that it is a knife that cuts both ways...The Steelers don't "owe" Rodgers anything and are well within their rights to take steps to protect themselves and/or put a contingency plan in place. If that irritates Rodgers, well, that's too bad, man.

But at the same time, Rodgers doesn't "owe" the Steelers a decision on any timetable other than his own, and he is well within HIS rights to take whatever steps he deems appropriate to determine his future. And if that irritates the Steelers, well, do something about it!

I also think it's worth keeping in mind that Rodgers really kind of did Pittsburgh a solid last year by taking a contract that was dramatically under "market value" at just 13.65m. He could've easily asked for double that and likely could've got it. And this year's number is also an eminently-affordable ~15m. So I understand the Steeler's annoyances with having things dragged out, but it's also a problem of their own making, and there's not an easy "out". Unless they are okay with going into the season with Will Howard or Drew Allar or whatever... any "established" quarterback is going to cost you every bit as much as Rodgers. So keeping him on as your QB allows you some semblance of competent and experienced QB play AND affords you a LOT more flexibility in the rest of your roster construction. The Steelers only have something like 5m in effective cap space right now; if Rodgers (or someone else) is making even 30m a year it's going to cause a lot of problems and tough decisions elsewhere on the roster.

Here is just a smattering of the guys who are making less than Rodgers AND are not on rookie contracts:
Kirk Cousins 11.3m
Justin Fields 11m
Marcus Mariota 7m
Davis Mills 7m
Jacoby Brissett 6.25m
Jarret Stidham 6m
Joe Flacco 6m
Gardner Minshew 5.75m
Mitchell Trubisky 5.25m
Jameis Winston 4m
Kenny Pickett 4m
Mason Rudolph 3.75m (who of course is already in-house)
Andy Dalton 3.5m
Mac Jones 3.5m
Geno Smith 3.3
Carson Wentz 3m

So that's the bind the Steelers find themselves in. Your options are basically:

A - Draft a QB this year (with Mendoza and Simpson already gone by the time you're picking)
B - Start a rookie/inexperienced QB and basically call the season a wash
C - sign a different veteran QB and understand that they are all probably going to be worse for you
D - wait for Rodgers to figure it out; if he plays you probably get the best QB that was reasonably available to you, and if he decides to quit/leave then you still have option B/C on the table

Yes. I agree. Nobody is taking advantage of anyone. You are free to do what you think best. The Steelers knew he would take his time and have decided to live with that. Their other options aren't plentiful anyway. I kind of hope he plays. I like to see him have a good game and their receivers imho are better this year. Although I think they lost that amazing RB who could really catch the ball. But that's not the same as having a good receiver imho.

 

[Heyjoe4]

He isn't waiting for a team that wants to sign him, the Steelers have been telling him that they want him back for months. Yet, he is still playing the same game as he played in Green Bay. He has done this at least 4 times that I can recall and with all 3 teams that he has already played for; Packers, Jets, Steelers.

This game he plays forces teams to hold off on contingency plans for who their starting QB is going to be.

I'll say it again, Rodgers is a guy that states that he doesn't like drama, yet he loves creating it and then pretending to be the victim of it. Traits of a narcissist or a manipulative individual.

Yes, you're right. The Steelers have made no secret that they'd like Rodgers back, even claiming right to first refusal on any offers he gets a as a FA (I didn't even know a team could do that with a FA).

But Rodgers is still Rodgers. It seems like insecurity on his part - he puts himself at the center of discussions.

IMO if he was gonna retire he'd probably have said so by now. But yeah, it's Rodgers. He seems to love ****ing with people.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Yes. I agree. Nobody is taking advantage of anyone. You are free to do what you think best. The Steelers knew he would take his time and have decided to live with that. Their other options aren't plentiful anyway. I kind of hope he plays. I like to see him have a good game and their receivers imho are better this year. Although I think they lost that amazing RB who could really catch the ball. But that's not the same as having a good receiver imho.

I'd like to see Rodgers play one more year. He was good last year. His ability to read a defense and make throws is still one of the best among active QBs. His biggest problem is lack of mobility.

The Steelers still don't have a starting QB ready to go after the draft. I'm sure they'd love to have Rodgers back at $15 mil plus for one year.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Another season for A-Rod with the Steelers......for $15M?

 

[gopkrs]

Another season for A-Rod with the Steelers......for $15M.

With addition of Pittman and a 2nd round pick that they moved up for, ARod should have better opportunities this year. I never liked Metcalf as a possession receiver but he will do better imho when he isn't relied on for everything.

 

[milani]

With addition of Pittman and a 2nd round pick that they moved up for, ARod should have better opportunities this year. I never liked Metcalf as a possession receiver but he will do better imho when he isn't relied on for everything.

And a reunion with an old HC.

 

[AmishMafia]

With addition of Pittman and a 2nd round pick that they moved up for, ARod should have better opportunities this year. I never liked Metcalf as a possession receiver but he will do better imho when he isn't relied on for everything.

The Steelers will have a rookie at guard and at RT. Although they are both good, they are still rookies. I think Rodgers is going to have some games where he regrets coming back.

 

[gopkrs]

The Steelers will have a rookie at guard and at RT. Although they are both good, they are still rookies. I think Rodgers is going to have some games where he regrets coming back.

But shouldn't the O line be better than last year?

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

The Steelers will have a rookie at guard and at RT. Although they are both good, they are still rookies. I think Rodgers is going to have some games where he regrets coming back.

Hopefully, it will be loosing to the Packers in the Super Bowl

 

[OldSchool101]

And a reunion with an old HC.

To me that’s an enormous benefit.
So many QB’s have to learn likes and dislikes of their HC or system. Rodgers and McCarthy will get down to business after their first welcome back handshake. No delay they’ll know exactly what’s expected.

One thing Rodgers doesn’t do is crack under pressure

 

[AmishMafia]

But shouldn't the O line be better than last year?

I believe it will be better, but that doesn't mean it will be good.

 

[Magooch]

So the Steelers find themselves in kind of a weird place.

15m or thereabouts for Rodgers for a season is almost certainly going to be cheaper (and likely still better) than you would hope for out of any other potential veteran signing. Last year he was ultimately still a "top-half" QB in yards, TDs, passer rating, completion %, TD%, INT%, and just outside it in ANY/A. Certainly far from his best days, no doubting that, but good enough to win you games still (As a funny comparison, for instance, one of his closest direct stats-comps for last season is none other that Caleb Williams )

But, on the other hand, he kinda puts you in that weird no-man's land of too good but not good enough. I don't think anyone is going to consider Pittsburgh a real contender by any stretch of the imagination; it looks like their ceiling is that of a fringe playoff team. And even if Rodgers can get you to that ceiling, is that what you really want? Because that's how you end up with another ~20th draft position and play your way out of a top pick.

And your other QB options are Mason Rudolph, who is also getting you nowhere (and considerably worse than Rodgers), and Drew Allar and Will Howard - who both have practically zero experience. I can understand the logic that says to give it to one of the young guys, but you'd be sending them right to the wolves. I think they are probably hoping that having Rodgers as a QB-mentor (in whatever capacity that may take) will be beneficial to one or both of these guys. And in any case I don't think there's particularly high expectations for either of those guys in the first place.

So like I said it's kind of no man's land. You can get a QB in Rodgers who is affordable and will probably at least give you a puncher's chance in most games. But you're probably not a title contender, and will likely play your way out of premium draft spots. And you don't have a top young QB waiting in the wings that you can go ahead and pass over the reigns to, so it's just kind of QB-purgatory. I guess you run it back with Rodgers for one more year and commit wholesale to a rebuild/rework in 2026/27 but a big part of me asks - why wait? I'm not sure there's much benefit to delaying that process by a year, but it is what it is at this point

 

[gopkrs]

When if you get into the playoffs, you still have to play the game. You cannot unequivocally imho say a team can't win. They got to the playoffs last year and should be better this year. I doubt their fans will be staying away from the games. At least that's the way I'd look at it if they were The Packers.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

When if you get into the playoffs, you still have to play the game. You cannot unequivocally imho say a team can't win. They got to the playoffs last year and should be better this year. I doubt their fans will be staying away from the games. At least that's the way I'd look at it if they were The Packers.

Agree. AR is one of the smartest QB's to play the game. What he may lack physically, he can counter for with his intelligence. If he stays healthy, Mike McCarthy and the Steelers can compete with AR.

 

[Magooch]

I guess that's kind of the philosophical debate at the heart of it. Kind of two schools of thought... You see teams do this a lot where they're basically clinging to the tail end of their "championship window" (if you believe in such a thing) and trying to squeeze out every last drop of potential performance from their team as constructed before blowing it up.

And then on the other side you have teams that are more or less okay with taking their licks for a year or two with the belief that they will be able to rebuild, reload, retool, whatever you want to call it...and put themselves in a better long-term position by embracing a couple of bad seasons in order to shed some salary, acquire draft capital, maximize contracts, what have you

I don't really know which is better or worse. I'd be interested in seeing if there's any research that points towards one "school" being more effective. My gut says that the first course of action is more consistent but probably runs the risk of being stuck in "good, not great" while the second is almost certainly more boom or bust.

Naturally, success is not ever guaranteed (even after loading up on top picks or whatever), and if you can at least make the playoffs you've got a puncher's chance. In that sense, maybe it is more effective to try and lean in to getting the most out of your existing roster with incremental improvements. But, then again....while the Steelers were technically a playoff team, they looked a LONG way off from being any contender. Like I said, Rodgers can win you games, but will he be *better* than last year? Elsewhere, Joe Burrow missed the majority of the season...and Lamar Jackson missed 4 games or so and had paced nearly a career-worst year in the games he did play. I would expect both the Bengals and Ravens to be better, too...

So it's a tough spot to be in. My gut feeling is that if you take the Steelers from last year, they need more than a few percentage points of improvement or "incremental gains" to be a serious threat, but hey, that's why they play the games. There is a part of me that thinks in a few years they will look back and say "Why did we waste that time with Rodgers, delaying the inevitable? We could've jump-started this rebuild two years earlier and ripped off the bandaid" or similar. But again....that's why they play the games