It has been more than a month already, and the noise of Aaron Rodgers to Pittsburgh is getting louder and louder. Mike Tomlin’s 2024 experiment of Justin Fields and Russell Wilson failed. Now, they are both in New York. So, what does the Steel City get in return? The 41-year-old, A-Rod, who couldn’t take a bite out of the Big Apple.

Let’s paint it better. A free agent and future Hall of Famer who continues to hover over the Steelers’ offseason like a four-time MVP-shaped cloud. That’s sugarcoating and a half. But if hope is what both parties are seeking, then a familiar voice from the past has chimed in—Todd Haley. “I’ve seen enough from Aaron … he’s still the best short-term option for the Steelers,” he said on The Pat McAfee Show.

This isn’t just some casual opinion from a retired coach; this is coming from the guy who helped resurrect Kurt Warner’s career in Arizona and led 35-year-old Ben Roethlisberger to a 12-win season in 2017. He knows a thing or two about milking elite quarterback play from aging legends.

You’re probably thinking—Rodgers? At 41? But Haley’s reasoning makes sense. The Steelers are tired of quarterback roulette. Russ fizzled. Fields barely unpacked his bags. And yet, Mike Tomlin still has the most stable coaching chair in the AFC—he’s coached in 19 playoff games, been to two Super Bowls, and has one ring. Rodgers? He’s 12-10 in the playoffs and once broke the hearts of Steelers fans in that Super Bowl. You remember the one. The two clicks.

Haley sees this as a now-or-never moment. “If the coordinator and he are on the same page, with a supporting cast… and a phenomenal leader in Mike Tomlin, I think there’s a chance,” Haley explained. The kicker? Rodgers doesn’t have to be 2011 Rodgers. He just has to be good enough to stop Pittsburgh from face-planting in the Wild Card round—again. And maybe stop the Steelers from taking 5 Ls on the trot, in 5 important games.

Still, the long-term question looms large. The Steelers haven’t exactly nailed the quarterback succession plan post-Roethlisberger. Haley admitted it: “It’s really hard to transition from a Hall of Fame-type quarterback.” They’ve taken stabs—Mason Rudolph, Josh Dobbs—but never pulled the trigger on a true heir. Haley remembers the internal debates: “Do we draft T.J. Watt or look into the future with a QB?” Today, that tension is back.

Rodgers might be the short-term savior, but the Steelers are also flirting with QB prospects like Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart. Haley isn’t pounding the table for any rookie just yet, but he knows this game inside out. And in his eyes, if Rodgers says yes, the Steelers should sprint—not walk—to the signing table.

Because for all the future talk, Pittsburgh has a shot now. As Haley put it bluntly, “It is their best option.”

But what’s the warning for Mike Tomlin?

In all the sign him, draft him, trade for him chatter, one thing keeps getting drowned out—the warning signs keep getting lost in translation. But Todd Haley did lay it out clearly, and loudly, for Mike Tomlin.

“Quarterbacks don’t grow on trees,” he said on the Kaboly + Mack Podcast. “You aren’t going to go find Brett Favre sitting there out on the street.” Translation? If you’ve got a shot at Aaron Rodgers—even at 41—you don’t overthink it. You take it, ride the lightning, and pray your defense doesn’t fold in the fourth quarter.

Sure, Rodgers isn’t the vintage AR12 with long hair and a killer smirk. But he’s not washed, either. “Was he the Aaron of old? Of course not,” Haley admitted. “But this guy can throw the football and make great decisions.” And that’s exactly what Pittsburgh didn’t get from their quarterbacks last year.

Here’s the thing: Rodgers played 97% of offensive snaps in 2024, coming off a torn Achilles at 41. In the Jets, a team that felt cursed by Halloween. That’s more than just serviceable—that’s durable. And yes, while folks are grumbling about him keeping quiet on where he’s signing, guys inside the locker room? They’re ready. “I think he would fit our locker room great,” said Pat Freiermuth. And that’s coming from someone who’s caught passes from both Big Ben and Russell Wilson.

But here’s what flips the script in 2025: weapons. Legit ones. DK Metcalf now lines up across from George Pickens. Freiermuth owns the middle. The O-line? Big, young, and full of early-round swagger. “Having (Pickens) and DK on the outside, obviously with me in the middle of the field, is going to cause defenses a lot of conflict,” Freiermuth added.

So, Rodgers is the short-term solution. That’s if the Steelers want to stop being one-and-done come January. “There is a chance not to feel like you felt going into the playoffs last year,” Haley said. A-Rod is that chance.