The Pittsburgh Steelers got their guy — right? Aaron Rodgers finally put pen to paper on his deal with the Steelers on Saturday, officially turning their dalliance into an official relationship after months of rumors.
However, Rodgers wasn’t the Steelers’ first (or second) choice. Pittsburgh preferred a trade for Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and re-signing Justin Fields before eventually settling for Rodgers, ESPN reported.
Stafford was on the trade market early in the offseason, with the New York Giants and the Las Vegas Raiders among the rumored teams interested in the Rams’ signal-caller. While Los Angeles allowed Stafford to speak with other teams as he sought a contract extension, he wound up opting to remain with the team instead of further seeking a trade.
Fields, 26, spent the entire 2024 season with the Steelers, who acquired him in a trade with the Chicago Bears in the preceding offseason. He the regular season as the team’s starter, going 4-2 while veteran Russell Wilson was sidelined with a calf injury. Despite his winning record, Fields was benched upon Wilson’s return. Fields completed 66.3% of his passes for 1,106 yards, five touchdowns and an interception to go with a 93.9 passer rating. He added 231 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns in six starts, arguably playing the best football of his career.
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While the Steelers were reportedly interested in re-signing Fields, the New York Jets were able to nab him on the first day of the NFL‘s legal tampering window. He signed a two-year, $40 million deal with $30 million to join the Jets, who Fields will presumably be starting for when the 2025 season begins.
The Jets’ decision to sign Fields came just a couple of weeks after they announced Rodgers’ release following a failed two-year stint with the organization. After missing essentially the entire 2023 season due to an Achilles tear, the 41-year-old put up a respectable stat line in 2024 — 3,897 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 90.5 passer rating — but the Jets only won five games, falling well short of their playoff expectations.
Justin Fields went 4-2 as the Steelers’ quarterback in 2024. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
While Rodgers wasn’t good enough to help lift the Jets into the playoffs, the Steelers are hopeful he can help them reach the postseason for the third straight year. They remade the offense after some underwhelming performances on that side of the ball in recent years as well. They brought in wide receiver DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks but traded away wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. They let running back Najee Harris and left tackle Dan Moore walk away in free agency. However, they re-signed running back Jaylen Warren and added Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson in the third round of this year’s draft.
The Steelers might not be finished retooling their offense, either, as they’re expected to add another skill position player at some point this offseason, NFL Media previously reported. They’ve been rumored as a possible landing spot for Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith. Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts has also been heavily named in trade rumors as of late, while the Steelers hosted veteran free-agent wide receiver Gabe Davis for a visit this past week.
The personnel changes might not be the only changes in store for the Steelers’ offense, either. Rodgers has reportedly been in contact with head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith about reconfiguring the offense to his liking, allowing him to do what he likes at the line of scrimmage while playing within the system.
So, even if Rodgers was the Steelers’ third option, it appears they’re doing what it takes to make the marriage work.
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