Why Steelers were so confident Aaron Rodgers would sign in lengthy free agency saga

Aaron Rodgers’ relationship with his new Steelers team had been growing behind the scenes for some time.

When exploring the offseason dynamic between the ex-Jets quarterback and Pittsburgh brass in a new Sports Illustrated piece published Monday, NFL insider Albert Breer explained how the Steelers never felt Rodgers, 41, would get cold feet before both parties made their one-year pact official Saturday with a $13.65 million deal.

“There weren’t regularly scheduled check-ins, but Rodgers would call Tomlin and Smith every now and again, which colors why the Steelers were never really concerned that Rodgers would back out on them,” Breer wrote.

Rodgers, coming off two unremarkable seasons with the Jets, had been targeted by the Steelers for much of the offseason.

The four-time league MVP’s name was originally floated when Pittsburgh “went through initial end-of-season evaluations,” according to Breer, with the Steelers looking to move on from Russell Wilson, who started for much of the 10-7 season as Justin Fields served as the backup.

Although Pittsburgh hoped to keep Fields, the former Bears first-round pick agreed to a two-year, $40 million deal with the Jets as free agency began.

As the quarterback dominoes continued to fall, Rodgers remained on the board, even after he visited the Steelers’ facility in March.

With the 2025 NFL Draft coming into view weeks later, speculation mounted as to whether Pittsburgh would take a quarterback early, a la Shedeur Sanders, or wait it out with Rodgers, who put football decisions on hold with someone close to him battling cancer.

The Steelers, namely team president Art Rooney II, expressed in May that the team was willing to wait “a little while longer” for Rodgers, with the lengthy saga coming to a close last week.

“Officially official,” the Steelers’ Instagram account posted Saturday, sharing a photo of Rodgers wearing a curious band on his left ring finger as he put pen to paper.

Rodgers signed days before the Steelers report to mandatory minicamp, which begins Tuesday.

The quarterback appeared in 17 games for the Jets last season, throwing 28 touchdowns against 11 interceptions.

Rodgers will face his former Jets team in Week 1 when the Steelers visit MetLife Stadium.