Pittsburgh Steelers veteran, Cam Heyward, made headlines for his blunt assessment of the Aaron Rodgers situation. When asked if he would help recruit Rodgers to the Steelers, Heyward wasn't interested, simply saying that the honor of being a Steeler should be enough. Several analysts publicly disagreed with Heyward, saying that the franchise isn't currently good enough to attract candidates on prestige alone anymore. However, a former NFL player and rival agrees with Heyward.
Thursday, former Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver, Chad Johnson, took to his his podcast, Nightcap, and agreed with Heyward's comments, saying that the Steelers are a historic franchise -- that being a part of the organization is a reward in and of itself.
"There's certain teams, you look at the logo on the helmet, they don't need no help," explained Johnson. "They don't need no recruiting pitch. The product sells itself."
It's high praise coming from a long-time divisional rival, but how much can Johnson and Heyward's reasoning actually convince Rodgers? Rodgers will be 42 by the end of the 2025 season. It has been speculated that his main priority is to finish on a high note, meaning winning as much as possible. The Steelers have an unfortunate losing streak in the playoffs, and with likely only one or two years left for the aging quarterback to play, the Steelers' prestige may not mean much to Rodgers.
Johnson's co-host on the podcast, former tight end Shannon Sharpe, said that a recruiting pitch might not be what Rodgers wants. Sharp said maybe teams interested in Rodgers need to appeal to his ego.
"That wouldn't be a recruiting pitch, that would be begging," explained Sharpe. "And that's what he wants. What did the Jets do? The Jets got on a private plane and flew to him."
Some argue that Rodgers isn't good enough to be keeping multiple teams in suspense. The quarterback is undoubtedly past his prime, but the Steelers are currently grasping at straws when it comes to a signal-caller. Unless they opt to spend their first-round draft pick on a quarterback, they may have no choice but to wait for Rodgers' decision. How long Rodgers holds up the quarterback carousel is unknown, but if Rodgers' priority is to win as much as possible, then the Steelers may be his last option remaining.
It was speculated that the Minnesota Vikings were Rodgers' first choice for a new team. However, the Vikings made it clear they weren't interested, instead opting to start J. J. McCarthy. For the time being, Rodgers and the Steelers may both be putting off the inevitable, neither thrilled to work with the other, but neither with a better prospect.
Rodgers is also notorious for causing drama. He may already know where his eventual landing spot is, but isn't quite ready to have the spotlight taken from him just yet and will drag out the process for as much attention as possible.
Being A Member Of The Pittsburgh Steelers Is A Badge Of Honor
The Steelers are six-time Super Bowl Champions and haven't had a losing season since 2003. However, in recent years, the Steelers' playoff win drought has become a bad look, potentially leading some free agents like Rodgers to avoid the team. Should Rodgers eventually sign with the Steelers, it won't likely be the prestige that convinces him.
Simply being the Steelers may not cut it anymore when it comes to recruiting. Pittsburgh will have to start finding greater success in the playoffs to build back the damage to its legacy caused by its losing streak.
