Ben Roethlisberger’s opinion on Aaron Rodgers is old news, Adam Schefter claims
Ben Roethlisberger thought he was dropping a bombshell, but NFL insider Adam Schefter shrugged it off like old news.
On Thursday's episode of ESPN's "Get Up," Roethlisberger claimed that Aaron Rodgers was bound to become a Steeler. He threw in a curveball, suggesting that Rodgers might be stalling because he had his sights set on Minnesota. Roethlisberger also questioned why the veteran quarterback would delay signing with Pittsburgh, especially after publicly working out with top receivers.
“I think Aaron is secretly still holding out for Minnesota, which is why he hasn't signed with the Steelers," Roethlisberger said (07:39). "Why else would you not? Why else would you go throw to DK and be working out and put it out to everybody that I'm throwing to these guys, but you won't sign.”
Schefter, however, dismissed Roethlisberger's comments as old news, pointing out that Pittsburgh has been Rodgers' only realistic option for weeks. Schefter suggested that Rodgers is waiting for something else, holding out for another opportunity or unsure about joining the Steelers.
“That's not breaking news," Schefter said. "We've been saying that for weeks already. Shows a lot of people suspect that that's the case, essentially, where basically the one and only opportunity that Aaron Rodgers has right now is with the Pittsburgh Steelers. That opportunity has been there for weeks. He has yet to take it. So clearly, he's holding out for something else, waiting on something else, or has questions and reservations about going to the Steelers.”
The 41-year-old QB has been a master at controlling his career moves. After backing up Brett Favre for three years, he took over as Green Bay's starter in 2008, won a Super Bowl in 2010 and stacked up four MVP awards (2011, 2014, 2020, 2021). Statistically, he's one of the most efficient passers ever, leading the NFL multiple times in passer rating, touchdown-to-interception ratio and lowest interception percentage.
Rodgers is at a crossroads. His brief run with the New York Jets was turbulent, and the Steelers haven’t sealed the deal.
Is Aaron Rodgers stalling for Minnesota? Steelers set a soft deadline
Aaron Rodgers is keeping the Pittsburgh Steelers waiting, but is it because he’s eyeing another team? Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, a high-ranking source from an unnamed team believes Rodgers isn’t interested in Pittsburgh and is holding out for the Minnesota Vikings. While this isn’t confirmed, it adds fuel to the speculation surrounding the four-time MVP’s next move.
“I had somebody suggest to me yesterday, and I’m just sharing what I heard, what this person’s opinion is,” Florio said on Thursday. “It’s not a fact; it’s not a report. But it’s somebody who is in the ecosystem and isn’t a low-level employee. This is a high-level person with one of the teams. The opinion is he doesn’t really want to play for the Steelers, and he’s waiting for Minnesota.”
The Vikings haven’t ruled Rodgers out completely. While they’ve put their faith in J.J. McCarthy, the veteran QB could serve as a bridge option. Meanwhile, Rodgers’ Monday workout with DK Metcalf has only intensified rumors about where he might land. Steelers president Art Rooney II admitted they won’t wait forever but are giving Rodgers a little more time, although he didn’t expect negotiations to drag on this long.
However, Mike Tomlin has a clear cutoff point: training camp. That puts July as Rodgers’ unofficial deadline. The QB could stretch things out to see if Minnesota (or another team) opens up an opportunity, but Pittsburgh won’t sit idle forever.