Rodgers’ biographer, Ian O’Connor, not too long ago appeared on 93.7 The Fan’s “The PM Staff” and predicted the 41-year-old would put pen to paper by the top of Could (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). Though he declined to reveal the non-public points that Rodgers himself has cited for his delay in signing with a membership, O’Connor doesn’t imagine these points – which pertain to a member of Rodgers’ interior circle – would preclude him from taking part in soccer.
“I simply assume verbally, behind the scenes, not that he assured it, however he’s informed [the Steelers], ‘Hear, I’m gonna play for you. I simply don’t need to go there after which miss a part of necessary minicamp due to my private points. I’m fairly positive they’re gonna be solved by the top of Could, no less than in my satisfaction the place I may give you my all,’” O’Connor mentioned (through Ross McCorkle of SteelersDepot.com).
Florio beforehand expressed his belief, supported by a supply who is aware of Rodgers however who has no particular data of the present scenario, that the eccentric signal-caller might have needed to keep away from being a distraction by signing a contract with the Steelers however remaining away from the crew for the early phases of the membership’s offseason program as he kinds out his private matter. After all, given Rodgers’ standing and the protection that consistently surrounds him, the truth that he has not signed a contract in any respect is its personal type of distraction. Nonetheless, it’s honest to conclude that formally becoming a member of Pittsburgh and never reporting through the first phases of the offseason – which Rodgers has overtly opposed anyway – would have invited much more scrutiny.
Florio believes O’Connor was referring to the offseason program normally and never necessary minicamp particularly, as necessary minicamp doesn’t happen till June 10. Florio additionally believes there’s a good probability Rodgers may have signed with Pittsburgh by subsequent week, as OTAs get underway on Could 27.
Exterior of the quarterback place, the Steelers have a playoff-worthy roster and didn’t choose a signal-caller on this 12 months’s draft till they added Ohio State’s Will Howard within the sixth spherical. As such, the runway could be very a lot clear for Rodgers to come back aboard and supplant Mason Rudolph as Pittsburgh’s QB1.
O’Connor, who interviewed 250 folks for his e-book “Out of the Darkness: The Thriller of Aaron Rodgers,” believes Pittsburgh is the “excellent place” for Rodgers to complete his taking part in profession.
“It could be me as an optimist, however I feel that is gonna work out,” O’Connor mentioned. “Do I feel the Steelers will win the Tremendous Bowl subsequent 12 months? No. However in the event you informed me 11-6 with no less than one playoff victory…I feel that’s real looking.”
