“I know I can still play. I know I can still do the things I need to do to be successful….Going to take some time mentally and physically to rest and relax.” Aaron Rodgers isn’t wondering – he knows exactly what he’s doing. And from the sound of the above quotes, he’s got a clear vision for what’s next in his NFL story. Now, if you’re thinking those words mean he’s making Mike Tomlin wait around while he chills on the beach…think again!
Last month, Rodgers met face-to-face with the Steelers‘ coaching staff in Pittsburgh. The meeting? A solid six hours long. It ended up with no contract, no breaking news, just a good handshake and a promise to be in touch. But here’s the thing – what if Rodgers is doing this on purpose? Wait what?
Yes, you heard it right. According to Colin Cowherd on his podcast on Sunday, “I think Aaron’s smart to just wait. I would wait till the draft’s over. I want to see where the chips fall, I don’t want to get burned like Kirk Cousins, and I’m gonna sit around if I’m Aaron, and if I don’t get the right offer. I got 200 million bucks.”
Cowherd was out having dinner with a few folks in Chicago, and naturally, the talk turned to Aaron Rodgers. Someone at the table asked, “Well, why hasn’t he signed?” And the analyst’s answer was straight-up honest. Narrating the same, he said, “Well, I think Aaron deep down knows Pittsburgh’s fool’s gold – DK Metcalf, George Pickens – lot of drama. They can’t get their O-line right. They lost Najee Harris and their left tackle. I don’t know if the offensive coordinator is Aaron’s type of guy, so I think Aaron, if he thought Pittsburgh was the deal, he would sign with Pittsburgh, and my take on Aaron is he really wants to sign with Minnesota.”
But the Vikings have been kind of unclear about what they want to do especially with J.J. McCarthy in the mix. He’s young, coming off an injury, and Minnesota wants to see how he looks physically during OTAs before deciding anything big. Even co-host John Middlekauff feels the same, as he highlighted a major Shedeur Sanders’ reason for Rodgers’ delay.
He expressed, “Kevin O’Connell, I think he said at the owner meetings that two things can be true. We believe in JJ McCarthy, and we’d also not be doing our job if we weren’t showing interest in Aaron Rodgers, right? Well, they get a try-out period at least physically, how it’s gonna look with JJ McCarthy and OTAs, so if you’re Rodgers, it’s like, well, what is Pittsburgh going to do even if Shedeur Sanders falls to them? They still wouldn’t be interested in bringing me in? They want to win next year, Shedeur doesn’t guarantee that right, so he actually has a weird amount of leverage over Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh.”
Minnesota, on the other hand, has a stacked roster – great coach, strong receivers, upgraded O-line. Everything’s there. But Aaron Rodgers wouldn’t have much leverage. If the Vikings bring him in, it’s likely on a veteran minimum, no guarantees. They’d want flexibility to walk away if things don’t click. So, the bottom line is – Rodgers is being patient. He’s got money. He’s not desperate. As mentioned, he doesn’t want to make a Kirk Cousins–type mistake. He’s waiting to see how the draft shakes out, how McCarthy looks in OTAs, and whether Minnesota’s door opens wide enough. And if it does? Don’t be surprised if he walks right through it.
As Rodgers is setting up a plan for himself in the league, his off-field collaboration for football is taking a strong hit.
Aaron Rodgers’ helmet banned?
Aaron Rodgers was already making folks wait. Steelers fans are still biting their nails. Now, toss in this: his favorite helmet just got banned. The same one he’s trusted for years is gone now. According to the reports, Rodgers’ long-preferred helmet model, the Schutt Air XP Pro Q11 LTD, is banned by the league.
The NFL and NFLPA put it on the “do not use” list, as shared by the Football Forever channel. But why? Well, as per reports, they said those helmets didn’t test well. Some were outdated, while others came from companies that don’t even make helmets anymore. And it’s unfortunate that Aaron Rodgers’ model made that list.
Now this reminds us about Antonio Brown‘s meltdown over his helmet in 2019. This is the same kind of story. In fact, Brown never even suited up for the Raiders after that whole mess. So, could Rodgers react the same way? Maybe. He’s got retirement on the table, and the helmet thing might have made it easier for him. But as the QB still wants to play, let’s see what’s in store for him in the offseason.
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