The Pittsburgh Steelers were already in quarterback limbo. Now? They’ve somehow made the situation even worse. Just a few months after trading for DK Metcalf and extending him, Pittsburgh just sent George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys in a move that might’ve quietly tanked their best chance at landing Aaron Rodgers.
From a Baltimore Ravens perspective, this is the kind of dysfunction you love to see. While the Ravens are gearing up for a Super Bowl run with Lamar Jackson and an offense that looks downright terrifying, the Steelers are fumbling their shot before training camp even begins. They don’t have a quarterback, don’t have a plan, and just gave away one of the few guys who could’ve made Rodgers’ decision to sign easier. Good luck convincing him now.
The Steelers haven’t had a real answer under center since Ben Roethlisberger retired. Rodgers might’ve been the short-term fix, but if he wasn’t ready to commit through the first wave of free agency or the draft, why would he want to walk into this mess now?
Steelers just made it much harder for Aaron Rodgers to say yes
Rodgers wants to be competitive. He wants a clear offensive structure. He wants weapons. At one point, Pittsburgh could offer all of that. Now? Not so much. They’ve lost their top running back, traded their most consistent wide receiver, and have no clarity at quarterback—and this all happened in one offseason. That’s not exactly a selling point for the 41-year-old.
Head coach Mike Tomlin is still holding the door open, hoping Rodgers walks through it. It would definitely cool his seat a bit. But the longer this drags on, the worse it looks for everyone. Trading away Pickens only adds to the confusion. Metcalf is talented, but he’s also super expensive and won’t do much of anything if nobody can get him the ball.
You won't find the Ravens complaining. Baltimore has their guy in Lamar. Pittsburgh is still searching for theirs and narrowing their options in the process. At some point, Tomlin has to be held accountable for the chaos. The Rodgers gamble might be the one that finally backfires.
The Steelers just intentionally made it harder to land Rodgers and to justify waiting on him. Tomlin’s already under pressure (especially after getting obliterated in the playoffs—again), and this latest move only adds fuel to the fire. If Rodgers walks away or chooses another team, Pittsburgh will have no one to blame but itself—just another misstep in a string of decisions that keep widening the gap between them and the Baltimore Ravens.