The Pittsburgh Steelers had concerned fans big time in the 2025 offseason. This concern stemmed from how the front office was handling the quarterback situation. What’s often known as the most important position in all of sports seemed to be of little urgency to Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan, as the team remained quiet while other franchises made bold moves. Fans were left wondering if the Steelers even had a real plan in place.
Behind the scenes, though, the Steelers were focused on one major goal: landing Aaron Rodgers. Despite public frustration and growing speculation, the team believed Rodgers would eventually agree to join them for at least the 2025 season. That belief finally became reality on Thursday when Rodgers committed to Pittsburgh, and what had been a slow-moving offseason suddenly shifted into high gear.
NFL insider Jeremy Fowler joined ESPN on Friday to explain how it all came together so quickly. He reported that the Steelers had been in constant communication with Rodgers over the past few weeks, with both Tomlin and Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith having regular conversations to ensure everyone was on the same page. According to Fowler, the turning point came Thursday morning inside the Steelers’ facility, where the energy changed and the deal started to take shape.
"Constant communication — Mike Tomlin and OC Arthur Smith talking with Rodgers the last few weeks just to make sure everybody was comfortable, meaningful conversations — and then I was told Thursday morning inside the Steelers' building is when this really started to intensify," Fowler said. "Actually, some relief set in because everybody there and involved felt this was gonna happen, but they never got an affirmative yes until that point."
Although Tomlin is known for staying cool, calm, and collected, even he couldn’t prevent the wave of relief that swept through the Steelers facility once Rodgers officially agreed to join the team.
According to Fowler, the atmosphere changed immediately, and everyone inside the building finally felt confident that their long-awaited plan was coming together.
"That’s when the ball got rolling, and now everybody is excited," Fowler said. "You know, they gave Rodgers the time as well with the personal matters he had. I was told that was big for them, to just try and be patient through this process. They let him work that out. That was real, and now they got him. They believe he’s in excellent shape, training in LA. He’s ready to go."
Throughout the offseason, Tomlin made it clear that he believed Rodgers gave the Steelers their best chance to make a serious postseason run. With a veteran defense built to compete now, the pressure was on the front office to find a quarterback who could lead the team with experience and poise. Rodgers was always the target, and his commitment brings much-needed direction to a team looking to contend.
Now that the Steelers have clarity at the starting quarterback position, the focus can shift toward fixing the offense. All attention turns to how Smith and Rodgers can elevate a group that has struggled to produce in recent years. Fans are eager to see how this new pairing can bring life back to an offense that has lacked consistency and explosiveness.
Steelers Are In Win Now Mode
However, the Steelers clearly believed they had a better chance to win without Pickens than with him. The team is reportedly going all in on trying to find one more reliable weapon for Rodgers on offense. They know the stars on defense are running out of time and view 2025 as one final push to win a Super Bowl with this group.
