The Aaron Rodgers waiting game continues into day three of NFL free agency.
With the Giants and Steelers still pursuing the ex-Jets quarterback, ESPN’s Adam Schefter spoke Tuesday about just how large the Rodgers domino is with “everybody waiting to see” what the four-time league MVP decides to do next.
“I think the Pittsburgh Steelers and their fans are just as curious you and everybody else are cause they don’t know right now who’s going to be throwing the football,” the network’s top NFL insider said on “SportsCenter.”
“Look, they were in on Matthew Stafford, he opted to return to Los Angeles. They were in on Justin Fields, he opted to go to the New York Jets. They are now in on Aaron Rodgers and everybody is waiting to see ultimately what Aaron Rodgers decides. Russell Wilson’s even waiting in the wings.”
The Steelers started the 2024 season with Fields, 26, under center as Wilson, 36, dealt with a calf issue.
The former Seahawks star took the reins in Week 7 — a 37-15 win over Rodgers’ then-Jets — and won his first four starts. The Wilson train later veered off the tracks, with the Steelers riding a five-game losing streak to close out the year.
Fields, who went 4-2, was said to have an edge over Wilson entering free agency, but opted for a two-year, $40 million opportunity with the Jets.
Pittsburgh then turned its attention to Rodgers, 41, much like the Giants, who also lost out on the Stafford chase in late February.
Schefter believes Rodgers is going to take a minute to mull his options.
“[He] seems to be the first choice in Pittsburgh and in New York with the Giants, but Aaron Rodgers wants to process his decision, take his time, do the right thing. Hard to know exactly what he’s thinking, never fully know, not going to speak for the man, but I think everybody is waiting to see what he decides, cause I think he’s got first dibs on where he wants to play next,” Schefter said.
Although the priority in Pittsburgh appears to be Rodgers, Wilson — who signed a one-year deal with the Steelers last March — “could return” should conversations with Rodgers “fail to result in a financial agreement,” The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Tuesday.
Rodgers is coming off a 28-touchdown, 11-interception season in New York, where he played in all 17 games after suffering a season-ending Achilles injury in September 2023.
The new Jets brᴀss of coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey told the future Hall of Famer they would be changing direction at the quarterback position last month.
