An interesting explanation has emerged for why quarterback Aaron Rodgers waited so long to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Rodgers finally agreed to join Pittsburgh on the eve of the team’s mandatory minicamp next week, having missed offseason OTAs by waiting as long as he did. Albert Breer of The MMQB suggested Thursday that was by design, as Rodgers wanted to avoid a repeat of last season with the New York Jets.
Rodgers’ decision to skip the Jets’ mandatory minicamp in 2024 sparked some offseason drama that the quarterback did not want a repeat of, so he waited to sign until he was certain that he would be all-in.
The @Steelers were patient with Aaron Rodgers as he dealt with his personal matters. And their sense was Rodgers wanted to avoid the noise he created in missing @NYJets minicamp last year, which colored his decision not to sign until he was ready to show up and go all-in.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) June 5, 2025
Rodgers missed the Jets’ minicamp because he went to Egypt instead. He later said he was fined for his absence, but had scheduled the trip not expecting the dates to conflict with mandatory team activities.
Obviously, we can safely assume that Rodgers will be in attendance for the Steelers’ mandatory minicamp next week. That is why he chose to sign when he did. Had he not felt fully committed, or if he had some other scheduling conflict, he presumably would have put off the decision even longer.
