The drama continues for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Aaron Rodgers. He stopped by and visited the team on Friday but left without a deal. No matter if you want him in Pittsburgh or not, this entire saga has become tiring for fans.

The Steelers certainly look like a far cry from the franchise of old through this ordeal.

At one point in time, Pittsburgh was a coveted spot for players to come to. Their way of playing and the pride that they took in their hard-nosed style was appealing for free agents on the market. Even if the money wasn’t always the best, notable names were always interested in coming here.

That is clearly no longer the case, and it has sent the Steelers spiraling. From the players exiting the team to having to sit through the Rodgers soap opera, this isn’t the proud franchise that we are used to.

The Pittsburgh Steelers way is officially dead

I’ve written before that the Steelers’ way of thinking had changed. For the longest time, this team was a perennial contender, and the goal every season was to win the Super Bowl. Moves were made to make that goal attainable.

Now, the goal has fallen far away from those lofty standards. While the team will say otherwise, they keep on putting band-aids on their gashes with the hope that it holds up for the season. This fall away from their standards is impacting their ability to attract new talent as well.

We have seen numerous players take shots at the team as they depart. Mike Williams seemed to be happy to be off the Steelers. Najee Harris, meanwhile, had some direct shots about how poor the culture was at times in Pittsburgh.

Looking now at the Rodgers disaster taking place, this team has become a desperate shell of itself in order to try and acquire a 41-year-old quarterback who was, for the most part, mediocre last year. This isn’t the savvy and cunning team of years past. This is a pathetic franchise trying to hold on to relevancy.

What is the best-case scenario with Rodgers at the helm? A winning season? A playoff berth? Maybe you even squeak out a playoff win, but you aren’t competing for a Super Bowl with all of the talent in the AFC.

Yet this team is chasing Rodgers desperately. So much so that they kept Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan in Pittsburgh despite Michigan’s Pro Day going on. This is an annual stop for the Steelers given Michigan’s wealth of NFL talent, but the team opted to keep their top brass in the Steel City to appease Rodgers.

It isn’t like the Wolverines are without good prospects. They have two of the top defensive linemen in the draft, and Kenneth Grant looks like an early favorite to be the pick in round one. Add in the slew of middle-round names and you are bypassing a lot of scouting in order for Rodgers to come and visit everyone.

It isn’t like this even swayed Rodgers to sign; he left without a contract. So you altered your draft scouting for nothing. It isn’t like he would be some sort of franchise savior either. He is a one-year rental to keep your team in the mix for a wildcard spot.

The pursuit of Rodgers reeks of desperation, and it is a pathetic look from the franchise. I’ve said numerous times this team should go into 2025 with Mason Rudolph and someone else in open competition for the quarterback spot. The end results likely won’t be great, but it puts you in a spot to get your quarterback next year.

Instead, this team is stoking into Rodgers’s ego and will drop anything to increase their odds of signing him. It is a pathetic look all around, and for a team that preaches culture before anything else, you can’t help but feel embarrassed.