PALM BEACH, Fla. — The man who claims to own the Bears spent Friday trying to talk his way into a new job.
Forty-one-year-old free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers met with Steelers brass at their facility, coach Mike Tomlin confirmed Monday at the NFL’s annual meeting. Tomlin characterized the get-together as a get-to-you-know-you.
“He’s been in this thing a long time, I’ve been in this thing a long time,” Tomlin said. “There’s no substitute for intimacy and spending time together and getting to know one another in a non-competitive environment. I don’t have any new updates on what the process is.”
Rodgers was cut by the Jets after two disappointing seasons. He took four snaps in 2023 before tearing his Achilles tendon. He finished last season averaging 229.2 passing yards per game, which ranked 15th in the NFL, and a 90.5 passer rating. Despite his mediocre performance, he remains the best available quarterback — though the Falcons’ Kirk Cousins remains a trade candidate.
Both quarterbacks who started for Tomlin last season have left. Former Bears quarterback Justin Fields signed with the Jets and Russell Wilson with the cross-town Giants. The only passers left on the Steelers roster are Skylar Thompson and Mason Rudolph.
They’ll add someone soon.
“I’m really comfortable with being unsettled this time of year, to be quite honest with you,” Tomlin said. “It’s about talent acquisition. … I just learned over the years that this time of year, although day-to-day it can be somewhat uncomfortable, it is a process.”