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There are some things in life that are worth the wait. And then there are other things where the wait make them less desirable. I think in sports it can be both, depending on the team and the player. And how many times the player has made teams wait in the past.
The Steelers finally have their quarterback for the 2025 football season under contract, almost 3 months after speculation of a signing. As expected, Aaron Rodgers signs a one year contract worth $13.65 million that can be over $19 million with incentives. A long wait that has some fans a bit angry.
The Steelers, my second favorite team, have chosen the mysterious box this year. Aaron Rodgers is clearly one of the most talented quarterbacks to ever play the game of football. He makes some really great throws that few can replicate. But he is clearly on the back end of his career. One last hurrah, where he can maybe beat the Bears in Chicago one more time and face the Packers in Pittsburgh in the first matchup.
Who knows what will happen. But Mike Tomlin seems to know how to win no matter what. And he finally has a manageable quarterback since Big Ben retired.
In all fairness, I am not sure the Steelers fans would have been happy if the team doubled down on the Justin Fields and Russell Wilson for another year. Fields probably had more upside, but Wilson was more effective, despite the losing streak at the end.
The 2025 NFL Draft was not full of can't miss talent, so the Steelers were not destined to be able to find the next franchise quarterback there. None of the free agent quarterbacks can throw the ball like Rodgers. And Stafford was not really going elsewhere.
While people are tired of what they perceive are self-indulgent behaviors of a player appearing to wanting to be wanted by a team. And doing things on his own terms. But, at this point, maybe he simply just did not want to go throw OTAs, where he has experience and talent to learn the playbook quickly.
The Steelers made the best choice given the market and talent available.