Aaron Rodgers Returns to Steelers as Pittsburgh Stays All In

Although the Pittsburgh Steelers may not have their bona fide quarterback of the future, at least for this season, they do have a top-end starting quarterback.

That is because Aaron Rodgers recently signed a one-year deal to stay in Pittsburgh. The deal is worth up to $25 million, and he is expected to be at OTAs on Monday. That alone makes this one of the biggest NFL storylines of the day, because it makes it clear the Steelers are not backing off and are not pivoting toward some longer-term development plan at quarterback. Instead, they are going for it.

The other interesting layer here is that Rodgers is now back with Mike McCarthy, the Steelers’ new head coach, following the end of the Mike Tomlin era. That brings the former Green Bay quarterback-coach duo back together again, which only adds another level of intrigue to this move.

More than anything, though, this is a sign that Pittsburgh is all in.

Rather than attempting to give reps to a younger quarterback and build toward the future, the Steelers are going to give it one more shot with a veteran they know can still play at a high level. Experience matters at quarterback, especially for a team that believes it can win now, and Rodgers gives Pittsburgh at least one more chance to try to catch lightning in a bottle and make a real Super Bowl push with him at the helm.

That does not mean Rodgers is the long-term answer. He is not. But for this season, the Steelers clearly believe he gives them their best chance to compete at the highest level. And that is what makes this move so significant. Pittsburgh is not thinking about later. The Steelers are trying to win right now.