Aaron Rodgers appears to be weighing three options

It has been nearly three weeks since the official start of NFL free agency, and Aaron Rodgers remains unemployed. The former MVP has taken much longer than expected to decide his future. In terms of his playing career, Rodgers appears to have three choices. Let's examine them.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Before Tuesday, two teams were willing to sign Rodgers as their starting quarterback heading into 2025. The New York Giants were one of them, but they signed Russell Wilson to a one-year, $21M contract. That leaves the Steelers as the only team with known interest in Rodgers as a starter.

Rodgers visited with Pittsburgh on Friday. It was believed that a deal might come together quickly after he sat down to talk with head coach Mike Tomlin, owner Art Rooney II and general manager Omar Khan. That did not happen.

Wilson is no longer available, so Pittsburgh's contingency plans are drying up by the day. If the Steelers had reason to believe Rodgers would not sign with them, they probably would have given up the pursuit and re-signed Wilson. Still, Rodgers is making them and everyone else sweat.

Retirement

Rodgers contemplated retirement two years ago when he went on his infamous darkness retreat. He ultimately opted to keep playing, and the Green Bay Packers traded him to the New York Jets. 

While Rodgers has indicated that he wants to continue his career, it would hardly be a shock if he decided a Super Bowl title, four NFL MVP awards and 10 Pro Bowl selections are enough.

Wait it out

Perhaps Rodgers does not feel that the Steelers are the best fit for him. There has been talk for weeks that he would prefer to play for the Minnesota Vikings, who have said publicly that they are committed to J.J. McCarthy.

McCarthy is coming off knee surgery and has never made an NFL start, so there are plenty of questions surrounding him. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was asked about Rodgers on Wednesday and did not entirely rule out signing the veteran.

If Rodgers believes there are better options outside of Pittsburgh, he could wait until training camp to see if another opportunity arises in Minnesota or elsewhere. Injuries happen, and Rodgers may not be excited about the grind of another NFL offseason, anyway. Is something else bound to come up? Rodgers might be willing to wait it out.