PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers caught in Aaron Rodgers limbo as NFL chaos builds

As the league pushes global games and tight turnarounds, Rodgers' unpredictable future could leave Pittsburgh stranded without a true QB1.

Aaron Rodgers
Aaron RodgersLAPRESSE

The NFL's 2025 season is shaping up to be as chaotic as ever, and once again, Aaron Rodgers is at the center of it all. With the league set to send teams across five countries for seven international games, concerns about travel, fatigue, and fair play are bubbling back to the surface. For Rodgers, who turns 41 this year and remains undecided about his next move, the stakes feel higher than ever.

Last season, the New York Jets became the poster team for poor scheduling. A brutal three-games-in-10-days stretch-including a Monday night opener on the West Coast, a quick turnaround in Tennessee, and a Thursday night matchup-crippled their momentum. What began as a promising 2-1 start dissolved into a disastrous 1-9 tailspin. Rodgers, injured and isolated, threw 28 touchdowns but failed to rally a roster plagued by penalties and internal shakeups. The NFL's latest schedule risks repeating that kind of chaos-with teams like the Jets, Seahawks, Saints, Cowboys, Bengals, and Bears now facing similar logistical nightmares.

Aaron Rodgers walks off the field with Davante Adams in the final game of the season for the New York Jets

Pittsburgh watches and waits, hoping for Rodgers' signal

Over in Pittsburgh, the quarterback situation feels like a game of musical chairs-with no music. The Steelers, fresh off a lackluster season, are holding out hope that Rodgers might bring his arm (and star power) to the Steel City. With Mason Rudolph and rookie Will Howard as their best options, it's no wonder the franchise is quietly circling Rodgers like a vulture eyeing a last meal.

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Steelers owner Art Rooney II recently hinted that the interest is mutual, saying, "We're still kind of getting the same signals we've been getting recently that he does want to come here." But Rodgers has never followed a script. Last year, he skipped Jets minicamp in favor of a spiritual trip to Egypt and told Pat McAfee, "I'm open to anything, and attached to nothing."

A ticking clock and a transatlantic gamble

With a high-profile game in Dublin against the Vikings on the horizon, Pittsburgh's urgency is growing. NFL insider Adam Schefter believes June's mandatory minicamp will be a key deadline for any decision. But waiting on a 41-year-old quarterback with a tendency to wander may be too risky for a team already short on options.

The NFL's global ambitions may dazzle fans, but for teams like the Steelers, the Rodgers question looms larger than ever: do you buy into the circus, or get left behind by the show?

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