Future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers is set to be available this offseason. Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reported on Feb. 9 the New York Jets plan to move on from Rodgers this offseason. More than likely, he will be an unrestricted free agent in March.
Even before that report, pundits had presented the possibility of Rodgers landing with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason. But it’s safe to say Steelers safety DeShon Elliott wouldn’t be a fan of that move.
In response to an Instagram post from JPAFootball on Feb. 11 that said DraftKings has the Steelers as the betting favorites to bring in Rodgers, Elliott seemingly sent a message to his team in the form of an all-time one-liner.
“Leave his ass at the retirement home.”
The official X (formerly Twitter) account of Steelers Depot posted a screenshot of the Instagram interaction.
Glazer’s Feb. 9 report indicates that Rodgers will likely play during 2025, which will be his 18th NFL season. Rodgers turned 41 years old in December.
DeShon Elliott Rips Possibility Steelers Sign Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers captured back-to-back MVP awards in his late thirties during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. But he hasn’t been an elite quarterback over the past three years, one of which he spent hurt with an Achilles tendon tear.
Returning from that major injury, Rodgers posted a 63% completion percentage and averaged 6.7 yards per pass in 2024. Rodgers had a lower completion percentage in 2019. But since becoming a full-time starter in 2008, Rodgers has never registered a worse yards per attempt average over an entire season.
He also had 3,897 passing yards with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Rodgers led the Jets to a 5-12 record last season.
Over the past three years, Rodgers is 14-21 as a starter with a 63.7% completion percentage and 6.7 yards per pass average.
The Jets dealt with plenty of issues throughout the 2024 campaign that could have hurt Rodgers’ production. The team, though, also tried to cater to the quarterback. For instance, the Jets acquire one of his favorite wide receivers, Davante Adams, but that did little to help the Jets offense.
How Does Aaron Rodgers Compare to Other Free Agent QBs?
Although he’s showing signs of decline, if Rodgers reaches free agency, he could still be considered one of the better quarterback options available.
Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins aren’t former MVP winners, but they are two other veteran quarterbacks who’ve experienced a lot of success as NFL starters. Wilson is set to be a free agent, and Cousins might become one. Cousins has three years remaining on his contract, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Atlanta Falcons will likely release Cousins early in free agency.
Sam Darnold and Justin Fields are two other signal callers who had strong 2024 showings and are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents this spring.
Obviously, two of those four quarterbacks — Wilson and Fields — played for the Steelers last season. The team has expressed a desire to bring back one of those two quarterbacks, but reports are mixed on who they might prefer.
However, if Rodgers is available, the question becomes whether he jumps to the top of the Steelers’ wish list.
If Elliott was making Pittsburgh’s personnel decisions, the answer to that question is clearly no. It will be interesting to see if others in the Steelers organization feel the same or if Elliott’s very strong reaction to the team potentially signing Rodgers will give the Steelers any pause to pursing the 4-time MVP quarterback.
Elliott is under contract with the Steelers for one more season.
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