As part of his ongoing obsession with tariffs, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, recently took the time to travel to the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to deliver a speech at U.S. Steel’s work site. While the main purpose of his trip was to inform the manufacturers that he is planning to implement a 50% tariff on all steel imports, the President couldn’t help but to give some acknowledgements to one of the crowd’s most notable members, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Mason Rudolph.
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The past several months have seen the Steelers be directly tied to the future of Aaron Rodgers, who has yet to officially sign with the team despite teasing it himself on several occasions. While fans and pundits alike are still of the belief that Rodgers will be the starting quarterback come Week 1 of the 2025 regular season, it appears as if the President didn’t get the memo.
According to the self-proclaimed Steelers fan in Trump, it is Rudolph, rather than Rodgers, who will likely be taking snaps under center in Pittsburgh this season. In typical Trump fashion, the President gave what was possibly the most glowing review of Rudolph to date.
“I’m a fan of your Steelers and I happen to think a really good quarterback is a man named Mason Rudolph. I think he’s going to get a big shot. He’s tall, he’s handsome, got a great arm. I’ve got a feeling that he’s going to be the guy,” Trump said.
Considering that Rodgers has been a public advocate of Trump for many years now, seeing the Commander in Chief endorse another quarterback for the Steelers’ starting job likely stung a bit. Nevertheless, Trump isn’t the only one who’s hinted at the franchise going in a different direction.
One of the team’s all-time players, Terry Bradshaw, recently labeled the Steelers’ interest in Rodgers as a “joke.” Likewise, the former flagship personality of Fox Sports, Skip Bayless, is calling for the Steelers to avoid the 41-year-old signal caller as well.
“When Aaron Rodgers was first connected with the Steelers, publicly… I said no, no, please no. Not the once proud cornerstone NFL franchise in Pittsburgh, not that one. Aaron Rodgers is washed I said… Can’t move, he’s lost the fire in his belly, doesn’t really care about winning or even competing… He’s just washed. He’s just interested in the Steelers because he wants to steal another $40-$50 million,” Skip explained.
Rodgers’ uninspiring play in 2024, in addition to his controversial persona, has resulted in a lack of interest from the majority of team’s who found themselves in need of a quarterback this offseason. Simply put, the Steelers appear to be his last remaining hope as a free agent.
Unfortunately for Rodgers, the clock is ticking towards the mandatory portion of the Steelers’ minicamps. If he wants a realistic chance at seeing success in what could be his final season in the NFL, it would likely behoove him to pick up the phone sooner rather than later.
