Aaron Rodgers has not yet committed to joining the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2025 season, but is ruling out one other potential NFL destination.
Rodgers is widely expected to sign with the Steelers after being cut loose by the New York Jets earlier this offseason, having met with the team’s brass weeks ago. But Rodgers has yet to make a final decision, instead taking his time on making anything official.
The Steelers could be the last team standing for Rodgers, however, after the former league MVP took one team off the table.
Aaron Rodgers Won’t Travel to New Orleans
During a question-and-answer session with rapper Mike Stud in Texas, Rodgers was asked whether he would consider signing with the quarterback-needy New Orleans Saints. Rodgers was definitive in his answer.
“No,” Rodgers replied in a video shared on YouTube.
Rodgers continued, adding that he has no desire to sign with the Saints and doesn’t want to live in Louisiana.
“That’s the answer. It’s no,” Rodgers said. “I played there a couple times, but no. The answer is no. I’m too old. I don’t want to live in Louisiana. Sorry.”
Though the Saints weren’t initially listed among the teams pursuing Rodgers, the team had a sudden need at quarterback after Derek Carr opted for retirement rather than a long rehab for a shoulder injury. Though Carr was expected to miss much, if not all, of the coming season, the Saints are now left with no clear path forward at quarterback.
The Saints likely would not have been a good fit for Rodgers, who is expected to join a Super Bowl contender in what could be his final NFL season. The Saints are likely headed to a rebuild, having already finished at the bottom of the NFC South last season at 5-12.
Rodgers had also been connected to the Minnesota Vikings earlier this offseason, but the Vikings are moving forward with second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy after deciding not to re-sign Sam Darnold in free agency.
Aaron Rodgers Could Join Steelers in Coming Weeks
Though Rodgers has remained tight-lipped about his future NFL plans, one league insider believes his signing with the Steelers is imminent. ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted that the Steelers are publicly optimistic that they will land Rodgers, and with mandatory minicamp around the corner it could be the perfect time for him to join the organization.
“My guess is he’s going to wind up there,” Schefter said, via SI.com. “I think that we’ve heard Art Rooney, the team owner, say he expects Aaron Rodgers to sign there, and they have mandatory minicamp June 10th to the 12th, so I would think Rodgers is on the table here in the next week or so.”
The Steelers don’t appear to have a solid plan at quarterback should Rodgers not sign. The team brought back veteran Mason Rudolph, but he has not been a starter for an extended stretch since 2019. That year he started eight games for the Steelers, completing 62.2% of his passes for 1,765 yards with 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
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