Aaron Rodgers Announces Decision To Sign With The Pittsburgh Steelers

After months of speculation, one of the biggest dominoes in NFL free agency finally fell on Thursday afternoon.

20-year-veteran Aaron Rodgers will complete his 21st NFL season with the Pittsburgh Steelers according to sources close to ESPN Adam Schefter. The official declaration came more than 80 days since free agency began and exactly 70 days since Rodgers visited the Steelers in-person.

The expectation is that the future Hall of Fame quarterback will travel to Pittsburgh on Friday to officially ink the contract before participating in the Steelers’ mandatory minicamp next week.

Rodgers was always the Steelers’ prime free agent target after last year’s quarterback lineup featuring Justin Fields, Russell Wilson and Kyle Allen bolted to new locations. The team selected reigning national champion Will Howard in the sixth round as a developmental option and brought back journeyman Mason Rudolph to serve as its backup signal caller.

Rodgers has been available to NFL suitors since the New York Jets cut ties with him during the month of March. He visited the Steelers’ facility on March 21 and remained in constant communication with the franchise over the course of two months.

The 41-year-old signal caller will be tasked with elevating a Steelers’ offense that was 29th in pass attempts and 27th in passing yards. Just last season with New York, Rodgers threw for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns, but registered a woeful 48,1 quarterback rating, tossed 11 interceptions, had just one game over 300 yards passing and averaged 229 passing yards per game.

While Rodgers never partook in Pittsburgh’s voluntary offseason workouts, he conducted a throwing session with the team’s newest wide receiver D.K. Metcalf who was acquired in a trade that predated free agency.

With the four-time MVP officially in the fold, he’ll have an upcoming schedule that features various teams he’s faced or played for during his football career. Rodgers’ season-opener will be a return to MetLife Stadium in a showdown against his former team the New York Jets.

Rodgers will also face teams from the NFC North, a division he’s very familiar with dating back to his eighteen-year career as a member of the Green Bay Packers. His first NFC North opponent will be a home matchup versus the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5,

The Packers matchup is slated as a Sunday Night Football Week 8 home game while his showdown against the Chicago Bears will be a Week 12 road tilt. Rodgers will end his NFC North tour on the road in Week 16 versus the Detroit Lions, a team who gave him his final loss as a member of the Green Bay Packers.