The Pittsburgh Steelers began their first day of organized team activities (OTAs) on Tuesday, and some players are feeling Aaron Rodgers’ absence more than others.
Linebacker Patrick Queen told reporters Tuesday that, though he believes in the quarterbacks the team already has in the building, he’d still like to call the veteran gunslinger his teammate.
‘I’m fine with the guys we got right now,’ he said. ‘But … when I was little, I was a fan of Aaron Rodgers. So it would be cool to have him on the team and stuff, but at the same time, the three guys we got right now, I’ll roll with them.’
Rodgers, it should be noted, is still a free agent. But the connection he’s had with Pittsburgh all offseason looms especially large as the team’s offseason training program gets underway.
In late March, Rodgers reportedly spent six hours at the Steelers’ team facilities meeting with head coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Omar Khan. He eventually left without a deal.
A few weeks later, Rodgers joined the ‘Pat McAfee Show’ and disclosed that he was dealing with personal matters, which have delayed his decision about whether he will play in 2025. Sportswriter Ian O’Connor, who wrote a biography on Rodgers, said earlier this month that he expects Rodgers’ personal issues to be cleared up by the time the Steelers begin their minicamp in June.
Team owner Art Rooney II has also recently told reporters multiple times that he and the team will wait ‘a little while longer’ on Rodgers to make a decision. So as the team’s offseason workouts start without Rodgers present, the door is not necessarily closed on a deal.
For now, the three quarterbacks the Steelers have on their roster are Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson, both of whom signed with the team this offseason, and Will Howard, Pittsburgh’s 2025 NFL Draft sixth-round pick.
Rudolph has the most starting experience between the three (18 games) and played five seasons with the Steelers prior to joining the Tennessee Titans last year. He re-signed with Pittsburgh on a two-year, $8 million deal in March.
In 2024, Rodgers’ second and final year with the Jets, the veteran had a completion rate of 63% with 3,897 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. New York let Rodgers know the team planned to go in a different direction in February before releasing him in March.