A reporter observed a black ring on Rodgers’ left index finger after his first minicamp observe with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday.
“Yeah, it’s a wedding ring,” Rodgers mentioned.
So he obtained married this offseason. Congratulations.
“Thank you,” he mentioned. “It’s been a couple months.”
Then it is going to turn into a dialog about whether or not it was Rodgers‘ nuptials — and never only a reported sickness to somebody near him — that led him to attract out his free company earlier than signing with the Steelers this week.
And in July it is going to absolutely be another thriller or Rodgers-related curiosity to chase.
To not point out that whereas he’s a four-time MVP, there’s something unusual about signing a quarterback this late to start out over the entire different QBs on the roster who’ve put within the work with the crew all spring.
Would the Giants have the next ceiling now if Rodgers was their quarterback as an alternative of Russell Wilson? Completely. That’s precisely who the Steelers gave up on to signal Rodgers within the first place.
Was it the Giants’ choice to finish up with Wilson? No, it was not. Rodgers handed on the chance to affix the 3-14 Giants after Joe Schoen swung and missed on the Rams’ Matthew Stafford.
Pittsburgh chased Stafford, too, the truth is, earlier than coaching its sights on Rodgers and taking him at his phrase.
It’s truthful to surprise, although, if the Giants dodged a bullet by not ending up with Rodgers because of the entire extra drama, storylines and non-football associated conversations that appear to observe Rodgers in a TMZ-like manner as extra celeb than athlete.
It additionally would have been difficult for Brian Daboll to run an offseason program with out the apparent QB1 not even signed to the crew, not to mention within the constructing.
Daboll managing a crew’s expectations and a quarterback room’s morale shouldn’t be the identical as Mike Tomlin being in cost.
If Rodgers stays wholesome and his late season manufacturing with the Jets wasn’t a fluke, he provides Pittsburgh a clearly higher quarterback and gives legit hope to the fan base that these many months of hoping and ready for a solution at quarterback may repay.
Wilson’s signing with the Giants shouldn’t be as thrilling or promising. In reality, the Giants signed Jameis Winston earlier than they signed Wilson, and Winston nonetheless feels just like the eventual fan favourite whose highlights will finally earn him a possibility on the sphere.
There’s something to be mentioned for a steady, borderline boring end result for the Giants right here, nonetheless, if Wilson’s solely off-field pastime is to get his image taken at each location in New York Metropolis earlier than the ball kicks off in Week 1.
Ask the Jets: it’s crucial to chase nice quarterback play, however it’s not price it if that pursuit leads a crew to a participant, persona or state of affairs that threatens as a lot toxicity and drama because it portends presumably improved play on the sphere.
If Rodgers stays wholesome and performs wherever near his late-2024 model of the Jets, the Steelers would be the ones laughing at everybody who doubted their dangerous plan and willingness to just accept what comes with the four-time MVP’s presence of their constructing.
And the Giants will solely have the ability to shake their heads that they did not construct a powerful sufficient infrastructure to lure Rodgers to them.
If the dialog in Pittsburgh consistently veers away from soccer, although, and if the Steelers are all the time answering questions on Rodgers that don’t have anything to do with the sport, it may change into a reduction that Rodgers solely performed for one New York franchise earlier than taking his present elsewhere.
