Did Mike Tomlin want to go into the 2025 season with Aaron Rodgers only? The Steelers were for sure going to part ways with Russell Wilson. But even after him, they had a couple of interesting options, ones that could have been their long-term QBs. They could have retained Justin Fields, if not picked a new QB in the draft. They invited Shedeur Sanders to their facility, and the Colorado alum sounded positive about their meetings. But Tomlin and the Steelers brass did not call out the QB’s name after flirting with him before the draft.

Now, almost three months later, the team has finally signed Aaron Rodgers, closing the long, dramatic saga. And everybody has their two cents about the Tomlin-Rodgers union. The latest to chime in is SI’s Albert Breer, who says that the Steelers were sure about having Rodgers in their QB room all along. The team just played around for months.

On Monday, Breer dropped by The Rich Eisen Show and talked about how the Steelers played dumb, pretending they weren’t certain about the veteran QB signing with them.  The reason the SI reporter has bluntly said that is because he believes that Steelers OC Arthur Smith spent the last three months designing an offense around Rodgers.

“Arthur Smith, um, has been building an offense for the last 3 months with Aaron Rodgers in mind,” said Breer. “I think that level of trust was there. I never sensed any doubt, um, on the Steelers’ end that this was going to get done. Now, they had to say publicly, ‘We don’t know…’ I feel a pretty good degree of certainty that they felt like all along this was going to happen,” added Albert.

The ex-Jet’s QB’s commitment to the Steelers was clear when he agreed to be there for the team’s mandatory minicamp. So, probably a deal was already done behind the scenes. It was just that Pittsburgh kept it hush-hush. Because if we see, Tomlin and the Steelers brass never seriously pursued a QB. Well, at the end of the day, the Steelers’ patience has paid off, not just with a QB, but with a bargain.

Aaron Rodgers at discount rates? 

In April, Aaron appeared on his best friend Pat McAfee’s show, where people think he usually goes for his rants. Anyway, Rodgers told McAfee there that he was even ready to play for $10 million in 2025. “I’m open to anything and attached to nothing,” said the veteran Quarterback. Well, it looks like he’ll be getting more than $10 million. Rodgers has signed a $13.65 million deal with the Steelers, with $10 million guaranteed.

The 41-year-old can earn up to around $6 million more in incentives and all. While we can’t say if Rodgers will be happy with this deal, the contract is for sure a win for the Steelers. The Jets signed ex-Steelers QB Justin Fields on a two-year contract worth $40 million, which means Fields is earning $20M this year, more than what Rodgers will make, even with all incentives.

Now, whether or not the veteran QB can take the team deep into the playoffs remains to be seen. But at least Pittsburgh landed a proven starter at a discounted rate. Pittsburgh can use the extra cap space to further bolster their roster, like signing an extension with their LB T.J. Watt, something they’ve been delaying for a long time. Tomlin could also bring in a receiver Rodgers would love, Allen Lazard.

Ever since Aaron’s been linked to the Steelers, Lazard’s name has been tied to the team as well. So, the Pittsburgh brass could use the cap space for a Lazard trade. The Steelers also don’t face any financial risks with Rodgers’ deal, making this a win-win situation for now. Whether or not Rodgers can scrape together some wins on the gridiron remains to be seen.