Steelers Get Message From New Cardinals HC Mike LaFleur About Aaron Rodgers Playing In Arizona

May has come around again for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the organization has no true idea who will be starting at quarterback come September. In 2025, Aaron Rodgers waited until just prior to mandatory minicamp in June to put pen to paper. Fast forward a year later, and it seems as if the same thing will be true. A rare unrestricted free agent tag was used on the signal-caller recently, which suddenly brought up concerns that the franchise may have a feeling that the four-time MVP might be looking to take his talents elsewhere. There are not many places where he could fit in, but the Arizona Cardinals have started to enter the conversation.

It doesn't seem like it makes a ton of sense for Rodgers to play for Arizona. Geographically, he might be much closer to the West Coast, but, at 42 years of age, he should be looking to compete for a team that has a chance to make a Super Bowl run. That appears to be much more doable with the Steelers, compared to a rebuilding Cardinals team with a fresh coaching staff.

However, that new regime is exactly what could potentially make Rodgers consider playing in Arizona. New head coach Mike LaFleur's brother helped the quarterback to win multiple MVP Awards while they were with the Green Bay Packers together. To add to the intrigue, Rodgers' friend and long-time coach Nathaniel Hackett is the Cardinals' new offensive coordinator.

LaFleur joined The Jim Rome Show on Tuesday to talk about his collective and where it stands entering offseason activities. The host couldn't resist the urge to ask the coach about Rodgers coming to town. Instead of completely denying the possibility, LaFleur took the political route and was solely focused on the players that are currently on the depth chart.

"You know, honestly Jim, right now, we're focused on the guys we got coming in," LaFleur said. "You got the unit that we have with Gardner [Minshew] and Jacoby [Brissett] and [Kedon] Slovis, and then we draft Carson Beck in the third round. He'll be here Thursday finally; we're trying to do some Zoom stuff. So, we got a room we're really excited to work with and that's solely where my focus is."

For a first-year and first-time head coach, the answer from LaFleur was rather simple and to the point. When taking a closer look, though, he didn't even mention Rodgers' name. Fans can take that however they wish too, but not strictly denying interest speaks volumes. While Rodgers isn't who he once was as a player, he would immediately become the best mentor for a rookie like Carson Beck if he joined the room.

This is what is going to continue to happen if Rodgers holds out and remains quiet. The future Hall of Famer has pretty much only made one public media appearance throughout the offseason, but appears to like when he is the topic of conversation. He is newly-married and has noted that he is not the only one that matters —which is fair — but it's also hard to imagine he does not already know what he plans on doing.

The veteran has often been a loud critic of voluntary offseason workouts, so his silence could simply be nothing other than waiting until he is forced to show up to Pittsburgh. This approach might have started to ruffle some feathers of the Steelers' brass, though.

Steelers Are Viewing The Situation With Rodgers As A Win-Win

If Rodgers does shock the NFL and decide to play somewhere else or retire, Pittsburgh has two young quarterbacks to turn to in Will Howard and Drew Allar. Either one could win the job and turn into the long-time starter, or both would struggle, leading to top-end draft capital in what could be a loaded 2027 class. Overall, Rodgers not returning could be a blessing in disguise, but it might also lead to a rough year for Steelers fans.

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