Steelers: Ex-NFL QB claims Aaron Rodgers dodged becoming "traveling road show" by dragging his Steelers' deal

With just over a week remaining until the start of OTAs, Aaron Rodgers is still unsigned. Rodgers, who has heard from numerous teams around the NFL this offseason, is weighing his next move.

The Pittsburgh Steelers appear to be the only team left with a raffle ticket in the Aaron Rodgers sweepstakes, but the quarterback has given the team little to work with as the front office continues to maintain contact with the four-time MVP.

One former NFL quarterback believes the signal-caller's decision to drag out the decision may have helped him avoid negative narratives.

On Wednesday, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Chris Simms hypothesized over Rodgers' decision to weigh Pittsburgh as a potential landing spot.

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The Steelers were rumored to be in the running for greater standalone games for the 2025 NFL scheduling slate, which Simms believes was a possible factor in Rodgers delaying his decision. (Start at 1:15)

"Maybe he didn't want that crap," Simms said of Pittsburgh potentially seeing more primetime action, had Rodgers signed already. "Maybe he's like, 'I don't want to be on the Chiefs' schedule and be a traveling road show."

Despite avoiding a potential matchup versus the Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh will battle through the NFL's seventh-toughest schedule in 2025.

Steelers to travel to Aaron Rodgers' old team, the New York Jets, in Week 1

If Aaron Rodgers were to sign with Pittsburgh, he'd have the opportunity to exact revenge on his former team right away. The Steelers are set to travel to MetLife Stadium in Week 1 of the 2025 season to take on the nine-time Pro-Bowler's former team, the New York Jets.

Justin Fields, who started six games for the Steelers in 2024, will suit up as New York's starter after inking a two-year, $40 million deal with the team earlier this offseason. Rodgers could make this matchup far more intriguing by signing with the Steelers, as the two quarterbacks could battle against their former teams.

Entering their offseason, Pittsburgh has just three quarterbacks on the roster. The Steelers signed veterans Skyler Thompson and Mason Rudolph in free agency before drafting Will Howard in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

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.

Know More

Steelers Fans! Check out the latest Pittsburgh Steelers Schedule and dive into the Steelers Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Brad Taningco