PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers want you to believe 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers is their guy. Since January, General Manager Omar Khan and newly hired head coach Mike McCarthy have shouted from the rooftops that they want the future Hall of Famer back under center. But the public hype might just be a massive smokescreen.
The Leverage Game
In the NFL, truth is the first casualty of the offseason. During Wednesday’s edition of the Inside Coverage podcast, Yahoo Sports NFL insider Jori Epstein threw a bucket of ice water on the Rodgers-to-Pittsburgh certainty. She suggested Khan is simply playing chess while the rest of the league plays checkers.
You could almost feel the collective gasp from the fanbase when Epstein peeled back the curtain. If the Steelers genuinely wanted Rodgers on a silver platter, a deal would already be done. Instead, Khan recently admitted it wouldn’t be a worst-case scenario if Rodgers decides to hang up his cleats entirely. The cold Pittsburgh wind blowing through Acrisure Stadium seems to carry a distinct hint of doubt regarding the veteran’s future.
“I understand that Omar Khan’s top job is not to tell us the truth when he needs leverage in negotiations. On face value, you would think this is a team that is absolutely, ‘Aaron, if you want it, we’re in, just let us know.’ And then when you start to peel it back, I’m not that sure that that’s the case.”
— Jori Epstein, Yahoo Sports NFL Insider
Plan B: The Quarterback Market
If Rodgers walks—perhaps to the Minnesota Vikings, a team he flirted with heavily last spring—Pittsburgh needs an immediate backup plan. Epstein pointed toward a tier of quarterbacks carrying untapped potential. Two names immediately jump off the page:
- Malik Willis: Hits the open market on March 11 as the top available free agent after reviving his career as the Green Bay Packers’ primary backup.
- Kyler Murray: His relationship with the Arizona Cardinals looks entirely fractured. A divorce feels inevitable.
Willis offers the dual-threat ability McCarthy loves to mold. He earned his stripes in Green Bay and is hungry for a starting job. On the flip side, whispers regarding Murray’s leadership and work habits might scare Khan away from making a blockbuster trade. Pittsburgh’s locker room requires a commander, not a project.
Playoff Implications / What’s Next
The entire AFC North rests on what Khan does next. Bringing back Rodgers reunites him with McCarthy, recreating their old Green Bay magic for one final run. The Steelers’ defense is built to win right now. But if Khan is secretly hunting for a younger signal-caller like Willis, the team’s offensive identity completely shifts from a rigid pocket-passing scheme to a dynamic, heavy RPO attack.
Expect clarity by mid-March. If the legal tampering period opens and Rodgers remains unsigned, Pittsburgh is likely executing a stealth move for a younger arm. Until then, take every front-office press conference with a massive grain of salt.
