What Mason Rudolph signing means for Pittsburgh Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers pursuit

The Pittsburgh Steelers were the only team in the NFL without a quarterback under contract for a hot minute, but they are set to ink a deal with Mason Rudolph. But what does that mean for the franchise’s pursuit of Aaron Rodgers?

Apparently very little. According to NFL Network reporter Mike Garafolo, who broke the news of Rudolph’s signing, the Steelers still want Rodgers.

“The #Steelers remain in the mix for Aaron Rodgers,” Garafolo tweeted Thursday. “But they valued Rudolph and want him as part of their QB mix no matter what. So they locked him down before anyone else could.”

The news on Aaron Rodgers has been all over the map in recent days. On Monday, a report emerged that Pittsburgh was nearing a deal with Rogers.

Within hours, that report was scrubbed and softened quite a bit. And once again it appears that things will happen on Rodgers’ timeline.

Still, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported in the middle of the week that the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers could have an agreement in place “as soon as Tuesday.” He did note that the Jets would have to officially release him before he could sign.

That has since happened. Rodgers is free to sign now.

And many see Aaron Rodgers as the perfect fit in Pittsburgh. Better, perhaps, than Russell Wilson, who is also looking to make his next move this offseason.

““To run it back with Russ, it’s just not good enough. They need to level up. Aaron needs (the Steelers), just like they need him,” analyst Louis Riddick said on Tuesday’s NFL Live. “He just needs to go play football. Don’t worry about being the GM, don’t worry about trying to put in your own offense. Just go play football. Work with Arthur (Smith), work with Mike (Tomlin). You’re naturally going to respect them.

“Look at the weapons they have, help tutor these wide receivers, get them on the same page. You’ve got some weapons to throw to, you’ve got a hell of a tight end in Pat Freiermuth. Work with the offensive line about where you like to be protected, how these guys can all communicate together.”

In any case, the waiting game continues. It’s hard to know exactly when something might jar free on the Aaron Rodgers front, with the 41-year-old quarterback taking his time in free agency.