In the end, Aaron Rodgers is a Pittsburgh Steeler. But for weeks this spring, the quarterback who once dominated the NFC North had his eyes on a stunning return to the division, but in purple. Rodgers’ courtship of the Minnesota Vikings wasn’t speculation. It was real, and it was mutual, at least for a bit. It even forced head coach Kevin O’Connell into one of the offseason’s most complicated calculations: Could the reigning Coach of the Year justify signing a 41-year-old future Hall of Famer while grooming the franchise’s handpicked quarterback of the future, J.J. McCarthy?

Rodgers, following his release from the New York Jets, actively hoped to sign with the Vikings. He reportedly sought a deal in the same range as Darnold’s—roughly $33 million annually—and was willing to wait out the Vikings’ decision, even as other teams pursued him. Whispers were that he was who the Vikings wanted.

In fact, the Vikings were reportedly “strongly weighing” Rodgers as a possible successor to Darnold. The conversations between Rodgers and O’Connell were cordial, football-specific, and frequent. But eventually, the Vikings stepped away. “There was an opportunity when him and I connected, just to kinda talk about, ‘Hey, what would that look like…’ We had a lot of great dialogue about it,” O’Connell had acknowledged. But as he tells it, the conversation never strayed far from the real priority: the future. And that future was JJ.

With Minnesota no longer in play, Rodgers pivoted—reluctantly. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN made a statement last month about what the teams felt regarding the entire situation. According to Fowler, many teams were still wondering whether Rodgers was waiting for the Vikings. “There’s some teams I’ve talked to that are still kind of wondering, ‘Is he(Rodgers) just waiting out the Vikings?‘,” he said.

Discussing the entire Rodgers-Vikings situation was Thor Nystrom, who appeared on the Ross Tucker Podcast. “Yeah, I think there was some relief around here. Like Aaron Rodgers, it was like for three months, he was like the guy looking through your window. Like, I’m still out here, guys. Like, hey, you still need a QB1? I’m still available.” 

According to Thor, the Steelers had to wait for Rodgers to finally get him. He said, “The Steelers end up getting that thing done by waiting him out. But yeah, Aaron Rodgers wanted to play for the Minnesota Vikings badly.” Only confirming the rumors that were up during the offseason. He also clarified, “Aaron Rodgers pursued the Minnesota Vikings, not vice versa. … And yeah, a big section of the Vikings fan base wanted absolutely nothing to do with Aaron Rodgers.”

In the end, Aaron walked over to Pittsburgh. Being persistent about holding out for the Vikings did clear up one thing, though – Rodgers didn’t just want to keep playing. He wanted to rewrite his legacy in the NFC North.

Nevertheless, as Rodgers joins the Steelers and whether with him or without, Tomlin is looking at a better season this year.

No matter what, Mike Tomlin is eyeing a stellar season

Mike Tomlin has made his stance clear over the years: “We can’t do this with hostages, man. We need volunteers,” Tomlin had said back in 2019. “We need good players, good guys who want to be here and if guys can’t check those boxes, it’s probably best for all parties involved to go our separate ways.” It’s less a motivational phrase than a filter of who fits, who doesn’t. Rodgers fits if he buys in. If not, Pittsburgh won’t bend.

The Steelers aren’t repeating the Jets’ mistake. Rodgers doesn’t get to install his people. He doesn’t get to reshape the offense. This is Tomlin’s locker room, and the expectation, internally, is that Rodgers adjusts to it, not the other way around.

There’s history here. Tomlin spent years managing Antonio Brown’s volatility while keeping the team intact, arguably longer than any other coach could have. In the 2018 offseason, Brown complained publicly about a lack of respect from the organization. There were consistent reports, some directly from Brown himself, that Tomlin had played favorites. When the situation became unsalvageable, the Steelers moved on quickly and without apology. The organizational memory of that experience remains. So does the standard.

Rodgers won’t have the control he once did in Green Bay. He won’t be allowed to sway personnel decisions the way he did in New York. He’s coming into a system that already has its structure, culture, and pecking order intact. Tomlin has shown he’ll work with stars. He hasn’t shown he’ll cede power to them.