After much anticipation, Aaron Rodgers signed a $13.65M deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers last year. He put on some great performances for the team, but their season ended against the Houston Texans in the wildcard round. With Rodgers’ deal being only for a year, there was growing uncertainty about his potential return to Pittsburgh, especially with him not confirming anything and hinting at retirement.
As a free agent, teams were always going to approach Rodgers for discussions about joining them. Although he is 42 and one of the most polarizing figures in the sport, his game is still appreciated. While the Steelers have been waiting on an answer from him, there have been links to a team from the Steelers’ rivals, Pat Rooney Jr. confirmed.
During his appearance on the PBKC Picks, Rooney’s cousin said, “They [Arizona Cardinals] did ask about (Rodgers) there. Yes, they did.”
Well, Pat Rooney doesn’t really have any official stance with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But being a Rooney, the family that has owned the team since its origin in 1933, his words should carry enough significance to convince the fanbase. And to add to his words, Kendrick Bourne, the Cardinals’ wide receiver, also expressed his excitement about Rodgers possibly joining his team.
Art Rooney hasn’t confirmed anything regarding the link between Rodgers and the Arizona Cardinals. While these are reports that surfaced recently, he has always kept his stance clear, and that is the Steelers waiting on their quarterback.
“He’s been keeping us up to date on his plans,” Rooney said during an interview with NFL Network’s The Insiders. “Even though I thought it probably would have been concluded by now, I think we will come to a conclusion here in the next few weeks.”
Last season, through 16 games, Rodgers succeeded in 65.7% passes across 3,322 yards. He also made 24 passing touchdowns. However, in their playoff against the Houston Texans, Rodgers experienced a downfall, completing only 17 out of 33 passes for 146 yards. He also got sacked four times, and with their star QB not shining, the Steelers collapsed to a 6-30 loss.
Despite that, the franchise has always wanted Rodgers back, and to confirm they have enough protection if anything goes wrong, the Steelers placed him on a UFA tender. According to Rooney, it was a preparatory stance if Rodgers decided to move to a different team. That tender had the power to bring the Steelers a compensatory pick in the worst-case scenario. They also alerted Rodgers and his representative about the decision to stay on the safe side.
Additionally, the Steelers will also have an exclusive negotiating right with the quarterback from the moment he signs with another team till Week 10. If he didn’t sign, then he’d become ineligible to play for the season. But it’s a win-win case, with Rodgers receiving $15M to stay signed with the tender.
But while Pat Rooney confirmed the Cardinals’ showing interest in acquiring Aaron Rodgers, Mike LaFleur, the Cardinals’ new head coach, had a different opinion.
The Arizona Cardinals’ focus isn’t on Aaron Rodgers
Right now, the Cardinals’ quarterback room is pretty strong with Minshew, Brisset, Slovis, and Carson Beck, the newest entry in the QB room for the Cardinals. As per LaFleur, these players are more than enough to build a solid roster.
Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport also shut down all rumor mills surrounding Rodgers moving to Arizona. During his appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Rapoport said, “No legs for that one. I do not expect him to sign with Arizona. I expect, if he is going to play, to play for Pittsburgh.”
For now, Aaron Rodgers’ future still appears closely tied to Pittsburgh despite the growing speculation around Arizona. The Steelers continue to keep communication open with the veteran quarterback, and if Rodgers decides to return for another season, the Steelers will get a new pick.
