It was Rodgers who initiated the talks as he waffles between signing with the Steelers or waiting on the Vikings to show real interest. “Rodgers and O’Connell spoke multiple times, and O’Connell relayed those conversations to key decision-makers,” Seifert said. “That prompted several days of discussions about what it would look like to add Rodgers and push back McCarthy’s timetable to the 2026 season.” It very much appears Rodgers wants to complete the so-called Favre Cycle and finish his NFL career with the Vikings after a forgettable stint with the Jets. The Vikings are expected to evaluate J.J. McCarthy — returning from a knee injury that wiped out his rookie campaign — during offseason workouts. If they have questions about McCarthy’s progress, the Vikings could begin a real pursuit of Rodgers, 41. ESPN’s Brooke Pryor said Rodgers “could wait for another team to come calling in the event of an injury” or simply call it a career if he doesn’t like his options in the coming weeks and months.

Rooney pointed to “positive signs” that Rodgers could finally be ready to sign with Pittsburgh after flaming out with the Jets last season. He added that the team would not wait “forever” for Rodgers to make his final decision. Rodgers, entering his age-41 season, reportedly meshed well with Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in a March visit to the team facility. With the Giants signing Russell Wilson, the Steelers are the last viable landing spot for the mercurial veteran. The Vikings could change that calculus if they don’t commit to JJ McCarthy as their Week 1 starter, however.

It’s a wordy way of saying, “Yes, we would consider a QB in round one.” The Steelers have been in quarterback purgatory ever since Ben Roethlisberger retired at the end of the 2021 season. While the Steelers are hoping Rodgers will get them over the hump in 2025, it goes without saying that the 41-year-old signal-caller isn’t the long-term solution at the position. The Steelers currently hold the No. 21 pick in this year’s draft and may need to make a Kenny Pickett-like reach if they hope to find their franchise quarterback in the first round. It’s no surprise that Tomlin won’t rule out the possibility, but whether the talent on the board is worthy of the pick is another situation entirely.

Were it not for the Steelers’ courting of Rodgers, this would be a non-story, but as Garafolo worded it, Rodgers’ session with Metcalf was “another step in the process for Rodgers as he evaluates the Steelers’ interest in him.” At the NFL owners meeting over the weekend, Mike Tomlin was asked about a potential deadline for Rodgers but refused to put a hard cap on anything outside of saying that “training camp would kind of be a line of demarcation.” Things continue to be wait-and-see with Rodgers and the Steelers, but it wouldn’t be surprising if a deal was eventually reached between the two sides.