Jeremy Fowler reveals how Steelers maintained Aaron Rodgers pursuit, says team felt 'relief'

A pursuit that began even before the 2025 NFL Draft finally came to an end this week. Aaron Rodgers signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers – and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said there was a sense of “relief” in the building.

Fowler detailed how the Steelers maintained their pursuit of Rodgers, about whom rumors swirled for months. He ultimately signed a one-year contract on Thursday, officially signaling his arrival in Pittsburgh to join a quarterback room that includes Mason Rudolph, Skylar Thompson and Will Howard.

Communication was key as the Steelers zeroed in on Rodgers, who also said he was dealing with personal matters. The franchise was mindful of that, Fowler said, and things ramped up Thursday before Pittsburgh announced the deal.

.@JFowlerESPN takes us behind the scenes on what led up to Aaron Rodgers finally signing with the Steelers ✍️ pic.twitter.com/azwNYQ5rNv

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) June 6, 2025

“Constant communication,” Fowler said on NFL Live when asked how the Steelers and Rodgers got to the finish line. “Mike Tomlin, OC Arthur Smith talking up with Rodgers the last few weeks just to make sure everybody was comfortable. Meaningful conversations. And then, I was told Thursday morning inside the Steelers’ building is when this really started to intensify and actually some relief set in because everybody there, everybody involved felt that this was going to happen. They expected it. But they never got an affirmative yes until that point. That’s when the ball got rolling. Now, everybody’s excited.

“They gave Rodgers time, too, with the personal matter he had. I was told that that was big for them to just try to be patient through this process, let him work that out. That was real. Now, they got him. They believe he’s been in excellent shape training in L.A. and he’s ready to go.”

Rodgers’ signing comes as the Steelers get ready for mandatory minicamp, which appeared to be a de facto deadline for a deal to come together. Now age 41, he takes over as the expected starting quarterback in Pittsburgh after Rudolph appeared to sit atop the depth chart after returning to the franchise.

Aaron Rodgers’ signing is the latest notable move the Steelers made this offseason. They made a major trade for wide receiver DK Metcalf and gave him a lucrative contract extension upon his arrival. Running back Kaleb Johnson is also on his way in after going in the third round of the draft.

Pittsburgh might not be done yet, though. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Steelers renewed talks with the Miami Dolphins about a potential trade for tight end Jonnu Smith after his breakout season in 2024.