Aaron Rodgers Set To Sign With Steelers
The Steelers have seemingly always been confident in Aaron Rodgers signing with the team, despite him not giving an update in several weeks other than admitting he had been weighing his options.
On Thursday, the Steelers got the news they were waiting for: Rodgers plans to fly to Pittsburgh this week, sign a contract, and participate in the Steelers' mandatory minicamp next week.
The outcome seemed predetermined, even if the timing wasn't.
And while they were patient with him, Pittsburgh undoubtedly wanted to see Rodgers with the team before training camp. Even a quick look during minicamp will give coaches enough time to start assessing necessary adjustments to their offensive system and for Rodgers to get some familiarity with his new teammates -- including DK Metcalf, who he had worked out with earlier this offseason.
Meanwhile, Rodgers' arrival in Pittsburgh sets up some interesting matchups this season -- starting with the regular-season opener.
New #Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers will make his regular-season debut Sept. 7 on the road against … the #Jets. pic.twitter.com/jUoLc30VEO
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 5, 2025
Worth noting: Despite scheduling Steelers-Jets for Week 1 and Steelers-Packers for "Sunday Night Football" in Week 8, the NFL didn't have any inside information about Rodgers' decision when it made Pittsburgh's schedule.
But you know they were hoping for this outcome.
Fantasy Impact
Rodgers, 41, missed virtually the entire 2023 season with a torn Achilles and was uneven in 17 starts in 2024, finishing with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions on a 5-12 team. Still, as CBSSports.com recently noted, Mike Tomlin bought into the idea of rolling with an aging but once-elite veteran in 2024, so switching from Russell Wilson to Rodgers wouldn't be a huge leap.
The immediate question is, how much better will the Steelers be with Rodgers at the helm?
Pittsburgh had 21 touchdown passes as a team between Wilson and Justin Fields.
As SBNation's Jarrett Bailey noted, despite the Jets' struggles as a whole in 2024, Rodgers still put up the aforementioned 28 touchdown passes, which is the same number MVP Josh Allen had. While Mason Rudolph is one of the better backups in the NFL and can get the Steelers through a few games if need be, he has 28 career touchdown passes.
Bailey added: "Rodgers is the Steelers' best option for 2025."
According to ESPN's Matt Bowen, Rodgers will benefit from a strong run game foundation under coordinator Arthur Smith and a play-action system that can keep the pocket firm. Quick passes will play a role here, too, given Rodgers' accelerated release time and field vision.
And his No. 1 option would be Metcalf, who thrives at creating explosive plays.
Bowen contends that diminished mobility and declining pocket poise will keep Rodgers from consistently extending or creating on second-reaction plays. "He's a pocket thrower at this stage of his career," Bowen wrote, "and Smith's game plan should reflect that."
As for Rodgers' fantasy value?
Footballguy Jason Wood has moved Rodgers up from QB28 to QB25 on his projections.
Even with just that modest move, Wood said it "feels generous, as I'm assuming an modest uptick in nearly every metric for Rodgers versus last season."
Fantasy Fallout
The entire Steelers receiving corps gets a bump with Rodgers under center.
That starts with Metcalf, whose WR23 Footballguys projection rises to WR17 with Wood believing 150-plus targets are a lock if the wideout stays healthy.
Calvin Austin III and Robert Woods, currently listed as starters with Metcalf on the team's depth chart, are also likely to benefit, although neither is a front-line fantasy prospect.
The rest of the wide receiving room, which also includes 2024 third-round pick Roman Wilson, Scotty Miller, Ben Skowronek, Brandon Johnson, and Lance McCutcheon, remain fantasy outliers until they earn legitimate roles.
Tight end Pat Freiermuth also stands to benefit. Currently projected as TE12 by Footballguys, there's a bit more upside with Rodgers as his triggerman.
While the offense, in general, is likely to be more on schedule with Rodgers running it, there's not much room for a shift in fantasy value at running back.
Jaylen Warren still projects as the lead running back, but sharing with Kaleb Johnson and Kenneth Gainwell is baked into Warren's RB27 Footballguys Projection. That said, Johnson's RB33 spot and lower average draft position make him appealing. Both backs are reasonably priced depth options at the position.
Stock Watch
Risers
Fallers
- None
Overview
Free-agent QB Aaron Rodgers informed the Pittsburgh Steelers on June 5 that he intends to sign the contract with the team and attend minicamp next week, according to multiple reports. Expect him to move immediately ahead of Mason Rudolph as the team's starting QB. Rodgers immediately makes the primary receiving assets in this offense -- DK Metcalf and Pat Freiermuth -- of greater fantasy interest.
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