Report: Rodgers, PIT did not meet over weekend
Mike Florio and Michael Holley discuss the latest out of Pittsburgh, where Aaron Rodgers reportedly has yet to meet with the Steelers.
Video Transcript
There's public pressure on Aaron Rodgers to make a choice, a decision, anything.
So he goes to Pittsburgh last Thursday.
Yeah.
Team doesn't know he's coming, doesn't go to the facility, doesn't meet with anyone.
Agent continues to talk to the team.
As I've said, the only thing to talk about is money.
Oh, money's not the issue.
Then what are we talking about?
And it occurred to me yesterday, Michael, be curious for your thoughts on this.
What if Aaron Rodgers is looking for an understanding, unwritten understanding, unenforceable- handshake deal.
If we get to week eight and we're three and five or two and six, you'll just release me before the trade deadline and I can go pick.
If I choose to, I can pick another team if another team needs me.
But And this all came up because Chris said, you know, one of the awkward things this year, if the Steelers aren't good, and who knows how they're gonna be under Mike McCarthy, but if they aren't good this year, at some point, do they bench Aaron Rodgers for one of the younger guys?
Well- Yeah this is where Aaron Rodgers protects himself because if you're gonna get released, you gotta get released before the trade deadline.
After the trade deadline, you gotta pass through waivers.
Before the trade deadline, you're free and clear.
Afterwards, all it takes is one smartass to say, "We're gonna keep Aaron Rodgers from being- Yeah this guy who rides in and saves a team that loses its quarterback in November or December."
So maybe he wants that.
He can't It's, it can't be in the contract, it's something that they'd have to reach an understanding, and they'd have to trust, both sides would have to trust the Steelers would do it if it came to it.
But that's a way to, that's a way to give Aaron Rodgers a chance, if he'd want it, to, to pull the rip cord and get out of a bad situation and maybe finish his career somewhere else.
You know, it's an interesting point, and it kind of, kind of tracks along with the Aaron Rodgers story.
I mean, this is what I think he likes that he was a quarterback, for the Green Bay Packers, that historical franchise, and that he won a Super Bowl with the Packers, and he's in the same, category as Favre and Bart Starr.
I think he likes that.
And I think he wanted to be the guy who got, who turned around the Jets, who g- who got the Jets- And here he is.
See, that Super Bowl trophy looks awfully lonely- Hey he suddenly walked into the facility.
Let me get these Yeah, let me get the Jets to the playoffs at least.
Let me break, break this playoff streak.
That didn't happen.
Then he goes to another legacy franchise, similar to the Packers, he goes to the Steelers.
Yeah, he gets them to the playoffs, not a Super Bowl.
I, he certainly I just can't imagine he would want to do this anywhere.
It doesn't work out and Aaron Rodgers ends his career backing up somebody?
Yeah.
I, I just That is not, that's not the brand.
Well, and that's why I thought- So it's an excellent point.
I could see him- When, yeah thinking about that.
When Chris said, what if they would bench him?
It's like, you can't bench him, you have to release him.
So okay, let's get this all Let's, let's see.
Let's, let's see what the Maybe one of the reason, things you're waiting for is to see what the schedule looks like.
If we open with the Texans, no thank you.
Yeah.
No thank you.
Yeah.
I'm not ready to do that again, right?
Was that, was that, You're good at this, remembering these things.
What was the year?
Was it 2000 So it must have been his second Jets year where the league said, "He, he owes us."
Yes.
Right?
He- After- He gets hurt that's right.
Second Jets year, Mike North said- Yeah "They got all those primetime games 'cause he owes us."
And so that schedule was brutal because they felt like- They were all over the place.
Yeah.
And so it, it, it, it was set up for failure, and, and failure is exactly what they got in his last year in, in New York.
They had two short weeks- Yeah Sunday to Thursday the first half of the season, and they were in London.
It was all over the place.
Yeah.
So maybe he looks at the schedule now and says, "Okay, I don't owe them anything.
All right, okay.
Pretty good schedule.
I'm set up for success here.
I'm fine with this one."
And it may be one of the reasons why, 'cause I remember speculating on this possibility last year.
One of the reasons he's not saying anything is if, if the NFL knows he's coming back, the Steelers get jerked around more on the schedule.
Now, he likes Sunday Night Football, but short weeks, just different things that take you out of your routine.
And I think as you get older, the routine is more important, and not, not playing in the elements would seem to be more important.
I was having a conversation with someone about that yesterday.
So we, we will see.
We will see.
They have their OTAs starting in just six days, but he was in Pittsburgh, didn't meet with the team.
Why not, though?
Didn't visit the team.
Isn't that, isn't that a big why not?
If he's in Pittsburgh and he doesn't go to the facility and he doesn't meet with the team, why are you there?
I don't know.
Wouldn't hang out with me, that's for sure.
No?
No.
He's got an open invitation.
Okay.
He can come down to the barn, smoke a cigar, have some tequila or some bourbon.
He likes short- Make sure it, make sure- He likes a, a couple fingers of, of, tequila.
Make sure the cameras are working and all mics are hot when that happens.
I, I, I would love to, to see that and hear that.
I think that especially with the assistance of a beverage or two, he and I could have a very enlightening conversation and we can come to a middle ground on a lot of things.
I'm sure he's not interested in that, but I'm, I'm always interested in talking to anyone.
Now, sometimes I may not feel that way after the conversation ended, but I'm always interested going in.
Going into the conversation- Going into it, I'm willing to do it this could be good.
I'm willing to try.
Doesn't always work out, but I'm always willing to try.
