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 had been as soon as flops with the Jets. It appears we will put Rodgers in that class, too, as a consequence of his 5-12 file with the staff 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.
Should you signal Rodgers, you’ll be able to’t anticipate 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.
It’s a must to settle for a lesser kind and hope Rodgers’ persona suits in together with your staff. His persona 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 staff.
For probably the most half, Tomlin’s strategies are very good, and he has been extremely profitable with a 183-107-2 regular-season file.
He’s a no-nonsense coach, a stickler for particulars, and he expects issues to be carried out his method.
Rodgers doesn’t all the time fall in keeping with that. Consider all of the occasions he criticized the Jets throughout his quick tenure.
Now image Tomlin’s head spinning round like an amusement trip 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 had been 10-3 earlier than collapsing with Russell Wilson working the present. They misplaced their remaining 4 regular-season video games after which had been eradicated by the Baltimore Ravens within the AFC wild-card recreation.
Wilson (16) and the aforementioned Fields (5) mixed for 21 landing passes. A wholesome and motivated Rodgers ought to be capable to 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, for the reason that playoff victory drought is eight seasons outdated.
There was scuttlebutt that the New York Giants might be an possibility for Rodgers.
That will be juicy for the oldsters in Gotham, to have Rodgers enjoying in the identical stadium as final season.
The Giants have the No. 3 decide within the NFL draft, they usually may choose their quarterback of the longer term and have Rodgers be their man this season. Or they might not decide a quarterback in any respect and perhaps Rodgers commits to enjoying two seasons.
Miami’s Cam Ward figures to be gone when the Giants decide, but it surely’s potential that Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders will likely be obtainable at No. 3.
Sanders has his personal angle 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 proper name by ending the Daniel Jones period, however there isn’t a bona fide starter presently on the squad.
Rodgers may stroll proper in because the starter and principally name his photographs about loads of issues, with Daboll’s future unclear.
The Minnesota Vikings fee as a slim possibility 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 haven’t any want for Rodgers.
But when they’ve doubts, they might place a name to Rodgers and pitch being a one-year rental.
The one different possibility 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.