The Pittsburgh Steelers were always confident that Aaron Rodgers would return for one more season, but they were seemingly on the verge of losing patience with him when he finally opted to return.
The Steelers had at least some expectation that Rodgers might opt to return before the start of the NFL Combine in February, then by the start of the NFL Draft, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Once both of those dates passed, the team essentially set May 18 as the date Rodgers had to make a decision by before they began to lose patience.
The Steelers had no need to meet with Rodgers, as the two sides have had the framework of a deal agreed for over a month. The quarterback simply kept Pittsburgh waiting for unclear reasons before finally committing to another season on May 16.
To a certain extent, it does seem that Rodgers just likes the drama. Even the Steelers had no idea when he would make his decision, and clearly had little communication with him over the past few months. Their confidence that he would return was not misplaced, but he might have had them sweating a bit.
Rodgers guided the Steelers to a 10-6 record last season. The 42-year-old threw for 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns against seven interceptions.
