Aaron Rodgers has the Pittsburgh Steelers and their coach, Mike Tomlin, on his radar. The seasoned quarterback, who has secured a Super Bowl title and been named NFL MVP four times throughout his remarkable career, remains a free agent with an uncertain future.
Before finalizing his decision for the 2025 NFL season, Rodgers received clear signals from Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, a pivotal figure for Tomlin since 2011. The 35-year-old made waves this week after addressing rumors about Rodgers potentially joining the Steelers. On his podcast, “Not Just Football,” Heyward suggested that Rodgers shouldn’t delay his decision. Due to the stir his remarks caused, Heyward clarified his stance during an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show.”
On Friday, the Steelers standout emphasized that he wasn’t criticizing Rodgers or discouraging him from joining the team. “It’s amusing. People gave me a hard time,” Heyward mentioned, according to NFL.com. “They said I was calling him out. I don’t think I did. I just stated I wasn’t going to go on a darkness retreat to recruit him. If he wants to be a Steeler, he can be a Steeler. That’s the offer. I don’t understand why people thought, ‘Oh, Cam’s really after him.’
Some fans were like, ‘Yeah, keep doing that,’ while others thought, ‘Oh, you’re going to scare him off.’ I’m not deterring anyone. I just want to win games and play solid football.” However, Heyward did caution Rodgers about something. While the quarterback could boost the Steelers’ Super Bowl hopes, Heyward stressed that the current team members under Tomlin’s leadership are determined to win a championship in the 2025 NFL season, with or without Rodgers.
“There’s a poetic aspect to it,” Heyward remarked. “The last Super Bowl he won was against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and now we need him here to win one. But what I appreciate is that it’s not about one individual. If he joins us, there’s a group of guys who are solely focused on that goal. In our locker room, every player is committed to winning a Super Bowl. We constantly talk about it. He brings a level of accountability that we defenders appreciate.
Let’s see what unfolds.” Before his recent appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show,” Heyward’s comments on his podcast gained widespread attention, seemingly putting pressure on Rodgers as he considered his next move. “I’m not doing that darkness retreat. I don’t need it,” Heyward said, alluding to the retreat Rodgers took in 2023 before deciding to leave the Green Bay Packers for the New York Jets.
“Either you want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler, or you don’t. It’s simple. That’s the pitch. If you want me to recruit, that’s the recruitment pitch. Pittsburgh Steelers. If you want to join, great. If not, it doesn’t bother me. “I’ll never dictate a man’s choices, but if you want to be part of the team, be part of the team,” added Heyward, who was drafted by the Steelers shortly after their Super Bowl XLV defeat to Rodgers’ Packers.
