Steelers: Adam Schefter drops major clue on Aaron Rodgers’ decision timeline with Steelers amid 4x MVP's uncertain future

The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to await Aaron Rodgers' decision. Whether he'll pick the Steelers, Minnesota, New York or retirement, every other team in the running for the four-time MVP has searched elsewhere.

Pittsburgh has remained loyal to the idea of signing Rodgers, despite being kept in the dark about his decision. Steelers owner Art Rooney II previously claimed the team could hear from Rodgers ahead of OTAs during the NFL draft, and has since said Pittsburgh is in contact with the former New York Jets signal-caller.

OTAs are just weeks away, and ESPN analyst Adam Schefter said on Tuesday that the process could draw out longer.

"I think the Steelers' mandatory minicamp is next month," Schefter said on Tuesday, via the 'Unsportsmanlike Podcast.' "I would think that we would get a decision from Aaron Rodgers shortly before then about whether or not he should play. To me, you can't miss that mandatory minicamp where you start gearing up. I guess you can, but it's not ideal."

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The Steelers have put all their eggs in the Rodgers basket. They selected former Ohio State quarterback Will Howard in the sixth round on April 26, but are unlikely to roll their rookie out as a day one starter, even without Rodgers.

Will Howard shows out at Steelers rookie minicamp

If Aaron Rodgers decides to retire over signing with Pittsburgh, the Steelers would be thin at the quarterback position. Pittsburgh was heavily linked to Cleveland Browns' fifth-round pick, Shedeur Sanders, but passed on the projected first-rounder with each of their first four picks.

Instead, the front office pulled the trigger on reigning national champion, Will Howard, who led the Ohio State Buckeyes to their first College Football Playoff championship since the 2014-15 season. Howard completed 73% of his passes for 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns with 10 interceptions in his lone season in Columbus.

Over the weekend, Howard suited up for rookie minicamp, where he made a sound impact on the coaching staff and his fellow rookies. Howard spun the rock well and showed off his arm talent as the team looks to bring him along as a potential starter.

He will make his training camp debut later this summer, where he'll look to compete alongside Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson.

About the author

Ethen Hutton is an analyst who works for Sportskeeda, covering College Football, the NFL, the NBA and the WNBA. Ethen graduated high school with academic and athletic honors and is a member of the National High School Honors Society. After a gap year, Ethen jumped into sports writing and has over two years of experience in the field.

Ethen was raised in Ohio and is a Cleveland Cavaliers fan. His favorite all-time player is Pete Maravich as his shooting and ball-handling abilities were way ahead of his time. His favorite player in today’s NBA is Nikola Jokic due to his fascinating skillset as a big man.

Ethen loves the storylines around the NBA and the chaos that the offseason and trade deadlines bring. He enjoys technical deep dives with strong statistical analysis as well as stories where he's able to take a stance as an analyst. He is very prideful in the correctness of his work and will do extensive research to ensure all facts and evidence are 100% accurate.

When not working, Ethen enjoys recording his sports podcast, Wide Right. He is also a very invested fantasy football player.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez