Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers appears to have just one realistic NFL team vying for him in 2025. With the New York Giants signing Russell Wilson yesterday, their quarterback lineup, featuring the ex-Wisconsin Badgers standout Jameis Winston and Tommy DeVito, seems set.
Although they haven’t entirely ruled out a pursuit of Rodgers, it’s unlikely he’ll be part of their squad this season. With Wilson on their roster, the Giants leave the Pittsburgh Steelers as the sole quarterback-hungry team showing interest in Rodgers. Last weekend, Rodgers reportedly spent around six hours at the Steelers’ facility, engaging with coaches and front office staff, though he has yet to ink a deal.
Should Rodgers join Pittsburgh, he would be stepping into a side that finished 10-7 last season and, aside from needing a quarterback, has fortified its offense for 2025, notably acquiring two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DK Metcalf. However, both Wilson and backup Justin Fields have committed to other teams for the upcoming season.
If Rodgers aligns with Pittsburgh, they might capitalize on a fragile AFC North and reach the NFL Playoffs. Should that scenario unfold, the four-time NFL MVP could aim for a Super Bowl victory with the team he once defeated in Super Bowl XLV, 15 years prior. Hall of Fame safety LeRoy Butler, who played his entire career in Green Bay, believes this could happen if Rodgers plays another season.
“If he joins, I think you have a genuine shot at the Super Bowl,” Butler remarked to Ty Dunne on the ‘Go Long TD’ podcast. “If Aaron Rodgers heads to Pittsburgh, they should be expected to reach the Super Bowl. They’ll be my top pick if he lands there.” This would afford Rodgers the chance to emulate something Butler witnessed during his career.
Denver Broncos icon John Elway concluded his career with back-to-back Super Bowl wins, the first against Butler’s Packers in Super Bowl XXXII. Nonetheless, Butler thinks Rodgers must adjust certain aspects of himself for his tenure with Pittsburgh to succeed. “Aaron has to relinquish control, and I believe Pittsburgh is the only team that can facilitate that.
He needs to give up control and truly embrace the team dynamic, becoming like one of the young birds eager for guidance. Pittsburgh is the sole place that can manage this because Tomlin won’t tolerate what the Jets did.” The Jets, notably, catered to Rodgers’ every whim, which only hindered their progress.
They regressed from a 7-10 record in the season he missed due to injury to 5-12 when he played, despite acquiring Davante Adams and retaining Nathaniel Hackett. It seems evident that the Steelers are keen on Rodgers and wish for him to join them, but it must be under their conditions, not his.
