With Ben Roethlisberger officially announcing his retirement Thursday, all eyes now point to his heir apparent. For the last year, many Steelers fans have been dreaming about Aaron Rodgers forcing his way out of Green Bay and in to Pittsburgh. His flirtatious exchange with Mike Tomlin in the middle of a game only added to the intrigue.
But how realistic is that possibility? Vegas gives the Steelers the second-best odds to land Rodgers, but unfortunately for them, the team with the best chance probably just became a lot more attractive to the three-time MVP.
The Broncos have long been considered a definition for Rodgers, given his reported preference to play out west, and Denver's glaring hole at quarterback. On Thursday, the Broncos hired former Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett as their head coach. That means Rodgers would be able to head to Denver and take his offense with him. It's worth noting Rodgers is on track to win his second straight MVP under head coach Matt LaFleur and Hackett.
Up until recently, it looked like the most probable scenario for Rodgers would be staying in Green Bay. But his animosity for the organization has seemingly dissipated, and his relationship with general manager Brian Gutekunst has improved. After the Divisional Round, he said he was "thankful" for his time with the Packers.
But in that same press conference, Rodgers also spoke about his disinterest in being part of a rebuild. The Packers are projected to be more than $40 million over the salary cap, which could make it very difficult to re-sign Davante Adams, never mind the rest of their offensive skill players. Wideouts Allen Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Equanimeous St. Brown and tight end Robert Tonyan Jr. are also free agents.
The Steelers have about $30 million in cap space, but surrendering multiple first round picks for Rodgers — and signing Adams as a free agent — would be uncharacteristically aggressive. There's also the fact that Rodgers keeps falling short in the playoffs. The Packers didn't score on eight of their final nine possessions against the 49ers Saturday night.
Do the Steelers want to surrender all of that draft capital for a QB who puts up gaudy numbers, but struggles to win in January?
There's also the question of how attracted Rodgers is to the Steelers. Outside of not playing on the West Coast, Pittsburgh has an atrocious offensive line. Its young cadre of weapons — Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool and Pat Freiermuth — could be enticing. But the Steelers may not be willing to add some of Rodgers' Packers running mates, which he could request. Playing in a division with Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson doesn't represent the easiest path to the playoffs, either.
The Broncos would be the cleanest fit. They also feature a young artillery of playmakers — Melvin Gordon (26) and Tim Patrick (28) — along with $42 million in cap space. With their defense, the Broncos could be one of the best teams in the NFL with Rodgers under center. The only strike against them is their division. The AFC West is a gauntlet, with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert poised to pick apart defenses for years to come.
Since Rodgers is signed through 2022, the easiest thing would be for him to stay in Green Bay, where he's won at least 13 games for three consecutive seasons. The Steelers are an enticing option if he wants to go on the move.
But the Broncos just look a little better.
