The air in Mike Tomlin‘s Pittsburgh hangs thick with anticipation these days, a familiar pre-season buzz tinged with something else – the restless energy of an unanswered question. It’s the feeling of a play call lingering in the huddle, the snap count delayed, the entire stadium holding its breath.
For the Steelers and their faithful, the potential signing of Aaron Rodgers isn’t just another transaction; it’s a high-stakes fourth-down gamble with the clock winding down, and right now, the play clock seems perilously close to zero.
Veterans sound the alarm: Keyshawn calls out delay, Bradshaw defends the Steelers way
Enter Keyshawn Johnson, Super Bowl XXXVII champ and no-nonsense analyst. He’s watching this stalemate unfold like a botched screen pass. “Looks real stupid to me right now,” Johnson said bluntly, his tone impatient—like a receiver begging for the ball.
“Coaches I’ve been around… they want the players there now. They want them now, right now. Nothing’s holding it up. The financial deal is done in terms of structure and what it’s gonna be. There’s none of that.” His point is clear: Why haven’t Mike Tomlin and the Steelers closed the deal on the 4× MVP?
Johnson even challenged the Pittsburgh press corps: “Did you guys come to an agreement on when he’s supposed to sign and ride?” It’s the kind of direct callout that makes you wonder what’s really happening behind closed doors at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
And then came the verbal bombshell from Steelers royalty. Terry Bradshaw, the golden-armed architect of four Lombardi trophies, scoffed at the idea of Rodgers in Black and Gold. “That’s a joke. That to me is just a joke,” he said on radio, his Louisiana drawl thick with disbelief. “What are you gonna do? Bring him in for one year, are you kidding me? That guy needs to stay in California. Go somewhere and chew on bark and whisper to the gods out there.”
Bradshaw’s crude message wasn’t just about Rodgers’ age (41) or fit. It felt like a defense of the Steelers Way—stability. Development. No quick fixes. Rodgers, to Bradshaw, is the exact opposite. He didn’t stop there. Bradshaw also defended Kenny Pickett—the young QB Pittsburgh sent to Philadelphia after back-to-back 7–5 starting seasons (now vying for the starter slot at the Browns). “I liked Kenny Pickett… They didn’t protect him. They didn’t get him an offensive line. He had no wide receivers to speak of,” Bradshaw said, his frustration clear.
“Then they throw a kid in there for two years… Now they’re saying Kenny Pickett is a failure. He wasn’t a failure. The Steelers were a failure.” It was a brutal indictment. One that paints the Rodgers pursuit as ‘déjà vu’—a repeat of misdiagnosing the problem. It’s like watching an OC break down a busted drive—tracing the issue to the line while the world blames the quarterback’s last throw.
The ghost of championships past weighs in on Tomlin
The contrast is sharp. Johnson questions the process—the delay. Bradshaw questions the philosophy—the entire idea. Different eras. Same concern. This offseason feels like a play stuck between snaps. The current QB room—Mason Rudolph, Skylar Thompson, Will Howard—lacks sizzle. But it reflects the Steelers’ usual formula: draft, develop, stay patient. With $31.8 million in cap space (thanks in part to cutting Preston Smith), they have ammo. But is Rodgers the right target?
Rodgers and Tomlin share mutual respect. “There’s only one Mike Tomlin,” Rodgers once said. Six weeks after his visit to Pittsburgh, though, the contract remains unsigned. Is Tomlin waiting this out on purpose? Or is Bradshaw’s bluntness echoing louder than we think?
Rodgers is 41, coming off a 5–12 season with the Jets. Durability is a question. Fit is, too. As OTAs begin, uncertainty swirls like the Terrible Towels in November wind. Will the Steelers go all-in on Rodgers? Or stick with their system and roll with what they’ve got?
The play clock is ticking. The huddle is tense. The next move won’t just shape 2025—it could redefine Tomlin’s entire legacy. Because in football, as in storytelling, the beauty lies in the moments just before the snap. And right now in Pittsburgh, that moment is charged.
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