Aaron Rodgers is working out of groups with beginning quarterback openings.
The Seattle Seahawks scooped up Sam Darnold, and the Las Vegas Raiders traded for Geno Smith.
The New York Jets — Rodgers’ former employer — opted for Justin Fields.
Humorous to suppose that Darnold and Smith have been as soon as flops with the Jets. It appears we are able to put Rodgers in that class, too, attributable to his 5-12 report with the group final season and the brand new brass deciding to half methods.
Not going to carry Rodgers accountable for 2023, when he tore his Achilles on the fourth snap of the season. However final season’s ineptitude is all his.
It appears ages in the past that Rodgers was the NFL MVP in each 2020 and 2021. However abilities can shortly diminish once you flip 39, 40 and now 41.
For those who signal Rodgers, you’ll be able to’t count on his four-time league MVP kind. Nor do you have to dream of getting the man who threw for 40 or extra touchdowns on three events.
You need to settle for a lesser kind and hope Rodgers’ persona suits in along with your group. His character wasn’t all the time spectacular with the Jets.
So rumors that the Pittsburgh Steelers have curiosity in Rodgers seize your consideration actual fast.
The Steelers have a coach in Mike Tomlin who’s getting into his nineteenth season working the group.
For essentially the most half, Tomlin’s strategies are excellent, and he has been extremely profitable with a 183-107-2 regular-season report.
He’s a no-nonsense coach, a stickler for particulars, and he expects issues to be achieved his method.
Rodgers doesn’t all the time fall consistent with that. Consider all of the occasions he criticized the Jets throughout his brief tenure.
Now image Tomlin’s head spinning round like an amusement experience if Rodgers rips the Pittsburgh offense on some TV present.
However right here is Tomlin’s dilemma — he has misplaced six straight playoff video games, starting with a setback to the New England Patriots within the 2016 season AFC Championship Sport.
Final season’s Steelers have been 10-3 earlier than collapsing with Russell Wilson working the present. They misplaced their closing 4 regular-season video games after which have been eradicated by the Baltimore Ravens within the AFC wild-card sport.
Wilson (16) and the aforementioned Fields (5) mixed for 21 landing passes. A wholesome and motivated Rodgers ought to be capable of exceed that output.
All eight of Tomlin’s playoff victories got here when he had a top-notch quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger. So you’ll be able to see the necessity for a quarterback like Rodgers, because the playoff victory drought is eight seasons previous.
There was scuttlebutt that the New York Giants may very well be an choice for Rodgers.
That might be juicy for the oldsters in Gotham, to have Rodgers enjoying in the identical stadium as final season.
The Giants have the No. 3 choose within the NFL draft, they usually may choose their quarterback of the long run and have Rodgers be their man this season. Or they may not choose a quarterback in any respect and possibly Rodgers commits to enjoying two seasons.
Miami’s Cam Ward figures to be gone when the Giants choose, but it surely’s attainable that Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders will likely be out there at No. 3.
Sanders has his personal perspective points, and he occurs to have thrown 503 fewer NFL landing passes than Rodgers.
New York coach Brian Daboll probably wants a quarterback who can win video games after final season’s 3-14 debacle.
The group made the correct name by ending the Daniel Jones period, however there isn’t a bona fide starter at the moment on the squad.
Rodgers may stroll proper in because the starter and principally name his photographs about quite a lot of issues, with Daboll’s future unclear.
The Minnesota Vikings price as a slim choice after Darnold’s departure. Their choice revolves across the well being of final 12 months’s first-round draft alternative, J.J. McCarthy.
If the Vikings are bought McCarthy will likely be wholesome — and, um, that he’s able to play properly — then they don’t have any want for Rodgers.
But when they’ve doubts, they may place a name to Rodgers and pitch being a one-year rental.
The one different choice is for Rodgers to retire. No person sees that occuring, as Rodgers seems motivated to have a greater season earlier than he hangs up the cleats.
