Aaron Rodgers has finally made a decision. After spending the entire offseason keeping everyone guessing, the four-time MVP is signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The wait for an answer dragged through free agency, past the draft, and deep into the spring. Now that it’s official, the next phase of the story can begin.
The Steelers will be Rodgers’ third team, and they’re hoping he still has enough left to make a real impact. They’ve retooled parts of the roster, taken some big swings on offense, and bet that veteran leadership under center can pull it all together. Rodgers brings name recognition and plenty of history, but he usually brings a little more than just his playbook.
His arrival in New York came with a few familiar faces. It wouldn’t be all that surprising if the same thing happens again.
Allen Lazard and Nathaniel Hackett are probably already looking at Zillow listings
The Packers-to-Jets pipeline was well documented. When Rodgers was traded to New York, Allen Lazard signed a multi-year deal shortly after. Nathaniel Hackett joined the staff even before Rodgers had officially made the move. The reasoning was always the same — these are the guys Rodgers trusts, and teams that want to make him comfortable have shown they’re willing to accommodate.
They essentially want to limit the complaining and make him happy.
That approach didn’t exactly pay off for the Jets, but it might not stop Pittsburgh from going down the same path. Hackett’s next role is still up in the air, and Lazard’s time in New York looks less stable by the minute. Neither would be hard to picture in black and gold.
Rodgers has always been particular about who he works with and how things are run. That level of influence tends to follow him, and the Steelers are already in deep. Once Rodgers lands, the rest tends to fall into place. Whether Pittsburgh wants that or not might not matter anymore.
Rodgers made them wait long enough. Now they’ve got to get ready for literally anything and everything. They're at the mercy of Rodgers now.