The Pittsburgh Steelers spent nearly two months pursuing Aaron Rodgers, but he reportedly was not the team’s first choice at the start of the offseason. Some were surprised to learn of one option that the Steelers preferred over the four-time NFL MVP.
In a recent appearance on “NFL Live,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that signing Rodgers was essentially Option C for the Steelers. Pittsburgh inquired about trading for Matthew Stafford, who wound up signing another restructured contract with the Los Angeles Rams. Schefter says the Steelers tried to re-sign Justin Fields, too.
Fields signed a 2-year, $40 million contract with the Jets prior to the start of free agency. That was after Pittsburgh attempted to keep him.
“Let’s also remember that this was the third option for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They were in on Matthew Stafford and couldn’t get done a trade. They tried to re-sign Justin Fields. He opted to go to the New York Jets, where he will meet Aaron Rodgers on opening day,” Schefter said. “After they couldn’t get a trade done for Stafford and couldn’t get Fields re-signed, they pivoted to Aaron Rodgers. So, Aaron Rodgers right now was their third choice, their best choice right now, but their third choice.”
ESPN #NFL Insider @AdamSchefter revealed that Aaron Rodgers was the #Steelers ‘third choice’ at QB this offseason. 😳
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) June 6, 2025
They preferred re-signing Justin Fields who signed with the #Jets & they explored a trade with the #Rams for Matthew Stafford.
After those pursuits failed, they… pic.twitter.com/21y87lSehO
It is unclear if the Steelers were willing to pay Fields as much or more than he got from the Jets. What we do know, however, is that the 25-year-old did not seem overly thrilled about his time in Pittsburgh.
Fields entered last season as the Steelers’ starting quarterback after Russell Wilson dealt with a calf injury. Fields went 4-2 as the starter before Wilson returned and took the job back. While he said at the time that he did not feel he played well enough to remain the starter, Fields has since suggested he was not all that happy about Mike Tomlin’s decision.
Fields finished the 2024 season with 1,106 yards 5 touchdowns and an interception. He also rushed for 289 yards with 5 scores on the ground.
Had the Steelers gone all-in on re-signing Fields, he probably would still be in Pittsburgh. Even if they preferred Fields to Rodgers, it seems unlikely that Fields would have turned down a significantly better offer to sign with the Jets.
