The Pittsburgh Steelers have been stuck in quarterback limbo, and frustration is starting to boil over.
As the team – and its fans – wait for Aaron Rodgers to make up his mind, even veteran players are beginning to speak out.
Steelers defensive captain Cam Heyward made it clear this week he won’t be pulling out any stops to lure Rodgers to Pittsburgh.
“I ain’t doing that darkness retreat,” Heyward said on the Not Just Football podcast. “I don’t need any of that crap. Either you want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler or you don’t. It’s that simple. That’s the pitch.
“If you want me to recruit, that’s the recruiting pitch. Pittsburgh Steelers. If you want to be part of it, so be it. If you don’t, no skin off my back.
“I just want to play football. I’m tired of talking about the quarterback situation. I’d rather have it done. I don’t know what ends up happening. I’m ready to move on into free agency. There’s too much going on.”
Heyward’s no-nonsense stance, while extremely understandable, didn’t sit well with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who took issue with the tone and timing of the comments.
“I did not like what he said,” Smith said on First Take. “I thought his response was incomplete. Are you saying that because you’re a Pittsburgh Steeler? Or are you saying that ’cause Aaron Rodgers isn’t what he used to be?”
Smith went further, questioning whether Pittsburgh – despite its storied past – still holds the same pull it once did.
“‘The standard’ has not won a playoff game,” Smith continued. “Pittsburgh Steelers fans everywhere have not won a playoff game. When you are in that position, you don’t get to be on a podcast, simply saying ‘You either want to or you don’t’. Wait a minute now. I might need you to recruit a little bit better than that.”
Heyward, who’s been with the team since 2011, still views the Steelers as a premier NFL destination – a franchise whose legacy speaks for itself.
But as we all know, the team’s recent postseason track record tells a different story.
Despite having stars like T.J. Watt, the Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season – a fact certainly not lost on the loyal Pittsburgh fanbase.
As for Rodgers, the 41-year-old quarterback remains silent, weighing his next move after being released by the New York Jets earlier this month.
Multiple teams – including the Steelers, Giants, and Vikings – are interested, but no decision has been made. (And Minnesota is reportedly rolling with J.J. McCarthy at quarterback.)
While Rodgers has shown he can still sling the ball – putting up some solid performances last season – the patience of those around the league is wearing thin. Especially in Pittsburgh.
Whether Heyward’s firm stance reflects the locker room as a whole remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Rodgers is taking his time, and the Steelers, along with everyone else, are just along for the ride – for now…
What are your thoughts on Heyward’s firm comments and Smith’s reaction to them???
