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Steelers Finally Lost It?
Nov 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin observes warm ups before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images \ Dec 8, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) reacts from the field after the game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Steelers are still waiting. Aaron Rodgers is making his decision on signing with Pittsburgh, the New York Giants, maybe the Minnesota Vikings or none, changing course and heading into retirement. And meanwhile, the Steelers wait.

Right now, the Steelers are under a magnifying glass and it's not a good look. This is a team that has been dealing with criticism for years, having many try to defend it, but the cases against them getting stronger. This offseason was the first one many felt there needed to be real change. That the Steelers needed to get back to where they've always been as football team, and they were determined to do just that.

Now, they're here. The entire NFL world is watching every minute of the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers, and the massive decision that could make one team look like a fool. That team is the Steelers.

Exhausting almost all of their liable options, Pittsburgh has no more leverage when it comes to Rodgers. They're confident it's going to be them, but not everyone reporting on the NFL is as confident.

So, all the questions are at the surface. Are the Steelers still a premiere destination for any NFL player? How bad is the NFL's perspective on the black and gold getting? Can it all simply be solved with a few playoff wins? And on the other side, how much worse does it get if Rodgers signs and things go south?

Former players are talking, and it's only making things worse. Right now, the Steelers are not the top-tier, great-reputation team they've been for decades. Something that may only get worse the longer they are waiting for an answer from Rodgers.

Maybe they need some direction. Maybe they need to draw a line with Rodgers. Maybe they need to wait this thing out and hope for the best at this point.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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