MIKE BURKE
Allegany Communications Sports
The deed has been done. Some insist the dirty deed, which I semi-understand but don’t agree with, as quarterback Aaron Rodgers finally signed his contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers Saturday at the team’s training facility.
The future Hall of Fame quarterback, who will turn 42 in December, and the Steelers agreed to a one-year $13.65 million contract that includes $10 million guaranteed and has a maximum value of $19.5 million. It also includes $5.85 million worth of playtime and team performance incentives.
So what’s done is done yet will remain to be seen as far as Rodgers’ performance goes and how much deeper into the playoffs (say, like, maybe, a win for the first time since 2016?) he can take the Steelers.
Most Steelers fans I talk to have come to grips with the reality of it and find themselves getting rather curious about the possibilities, some of whom had been skeptical about bringing Rodgers on from the beginning.
Yet there are still those who continue to have their doubts, citing what is sometimes viewed as being Rodgers’ abrasive personality, his political views, and his willingness to share them, and the chemistry he may or may not bring to the team. Then there are those who just believe the Steelers would be better off being worse this coming season.
In fact, former Steelers safety Ryan Clark, who it must be said had a difficult evening with Rodgers during Super Bowl XLV, somewhat eluded to that notion, posting on X, “Aaron Rodgers signing with the Steelers is the worst case scenario. I think he’ll play good enough and the team will be just good enough to miss out on a franchise guy next year! One of the greatest players of the era and one of its greatest head coaches… just years too late.”
It’s clear that Rodgers will not be the long-term solution for the Steelers because he’s 41 going on 42, but it’s just as clear that the Steelers believe he provides them with their best opportunity for now while the team still has one of the best defenses in the league. It’s also clear that Rodgers himself believes the Steelers are the best opportunity for him to finish his career on a high note.
And don’t forget: The Steelers have been accumulating a great deal of draft capital lately and could be preparing to make a major move in the near future to secure their next long-term franchise quarterback to solidify the future of the team.
Rodgers had the rare opportunity to decide which team he wanted to play for and when he would join them. The Steelers wanted him and were willing to wait for him, and were still waiting for him on Saturday when he arrived to sign his contract just in time for this week’s mandatory minicamp, where all of the so-called team chemistry tests skeptics insist Rodgers must pass will begin in earnest.
Not many players can do that, particularly with a franchise such as the Steelers, but Rodgers has shown over his career that he is a rare player, and the Steelers have just shown they believe he still has what it takes.
Through the long, drawn-out process, the organization, beginning with the owner and the head coach, remained calm, indicating they were confident they were doing the right thing, regardless of mixed reviews from their fanbase.
Does he still have it? That remains to be seen.
I just find it hard to believe that he won’t have more than Russell Wilson and Justin Fields had last year. And I find it impossible to believe that Steelers fans, who believe they are entitled to a Super Bowl title every single season, would really rather watch Mason Rudolph or Will Howard quarterback the Steelers instead of a Hall of Fame quarterback.
Mike Burke writes about sports and other stuff for Allegany Communications. He began covering sports for the Prince George’s Sentinel in 1981 and joined the Cumberland Times-News sports staff in 1984, serving as sports editor for over 30 years. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on X @MikeBurkeMDT