"Very un-Steelerslike": Rich Eisen gives honest take on why Pittsburgh is all-in on Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers has yet to make a decision and the Pittsburgh Steelers are still waiting. Despite being halfway through May, the team has no clarity on its quarterback situation. ESPN insider Adam Schefter said earlier that he expects Rodgers to decide before the team’s mandatory minicamp.
However, this delay has raised eyebrows. Speaking on “The Rich Eisen Show” on Wednesday, Sports commentator Rich Eisen questioned Pittsburgh’s entire approach. He pointed to how the Steelers treat Rodgers like one of their own, but the 41-year-old isn’t under contract.
“They’re waiting on Aaron Rodgers because he’s Aaron Rodgers. And if he catches lightning in a bottle like his last few years in Green Bay as MVP,” Eisen said. (00:18 onwards) “The question is, will he be able to do it? But the reason why they’re waiting is because he might. It’s better than what they currently have.”
“Maybe they catch the lightning in a bottle. So that’s why they’re waiting for him. This is very un-Steelerslike, it really is. It’s un-Steelerslike to say, ‘We’re cool waiting for you to work through whatever you’re working through as long as we feel like you’re coming.'”
The Steelers - who traded wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys last week in exchange for 2026 draft compensation - replaced Pickens with DK Metcalf. Per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo, Metcalf brings more maturity than Pickens. However, with no quarterback in place, the trade feels risky.
General manager Omar Khan passed on several top receivers last offseason. This year, he acted, but the team still hasn’t secured a QB. That concern showed up during the NFL draft. As reported by ESPN, Pittsburgh skipped quarterbacks in the early rounds, waiting until the sixth to draft Will Howard from Ohio State.
The Steelers passed on prospects like Shedeur Sanders and Jalen Milroe, building the draft class assuming Aaron Rodgers will sign. Team owner Art Rooney II told Steelers Nation Radio they’re still getting positive signals from Rodgers.
Mike Florio predicts Aaron Rodgers would join the Steelers before OTAs
Aaron Rodgers’s ongoing free agency has drawn attention from several NFL analysts, with increasing focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers. On Monday's episode of “NFL on NBC,” Mike Florio predicted Rodgers would join Pittsburgh before OTAs. The Jets officially released the veteran quarterback on March 12, with a post-June 1 designation to ease cap impact. Since then, he’s held talks with teams including the Vikings, Giants, and Steelers.
While CBS Sports's Cody Benjamin projects a Steelers-Rodgers pairing, team insider Mark Kaboly doubts the quarterback will attend OTAs. Rodgers has also been linked to the Saints following Derek Carr’s retirement. Former QB Robert Griffin III said New Orleans should go after Aaron Rodgers. However, no decisions have yet been made.