Pittsburgh Steelers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

The Athletic's Mike Silver reports that free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers hopes to sign with the Minnesota Vikings. Rodgers was previously linked to the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers, but Minnesota recently intervened in the situation, and it appears they're the front-runner to land the 41-year-old. Silver also noted in a separate post that if a deal with Minnesota falls through, the veteran quarterback could opt for retirement in lieu of signing with the Giants or Steelers. Rodgers has already put the two teams on hold as he waits for the Vikings to work things out, so he clearly views them as less-favorable options. It's an intriguing situation for the teams involved. Still, Rodgers isn't likely to provide much fantasy value in 2025, outside of a potential streaming option.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have agreed to re-sign wide receiver Ben Skowronek to an undisclosed deal. The NFL's Ian Rapoport reported the news. The wideout found his way onto Pittsburgh's roster in mid-September after failing to become a member of the Texans' 53-man squad, but an early-season shoulder injury forced him to injured reserve, and he missed six games. Upon his return in Week 10, Skowronek surpassed 20 snaps in a single contest on just one occasion, totaling five catches and 69 yards in ten appearances. The Notre Dame product will serve as roster padding in the Steelers' WR corps, though he's likely to play a role on special teams. Additionally, Skowronek has experience as a fullback from his time spent with Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams, providing a versatile roster piece for Pittsburgh.

The Minnesota Vikings are reportedly seriously discussing the possibility of signing quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Vikings appear to be committed to J.J. McCarthy as their future starter, but they'd like to add another capable option in case the former first-round pick isn't ready yet. Rodgers has already received interest from both the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants. Now, the Vikings appear ready to throw their hat in the mix. The difference with the Vikings is that Rodgers wouldn't have to commit to being the full-time starter for the entire season. McCarthy would likely take over at some point, but having a veteran like Rodgers could be helpful.

Free-agent quarterback Mason Rudolph agreed to a two-year, $8 million deal with $4.5 million guaranteed to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers, sources told NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. Rudolph considered multiple offers, including re-signing with the Tennessee Titans, but he ultimately chose to return to Pittsburgh after playing for them from 2019-23. The Steelers took the 29-year-old in the third round (76th overall) in 2018 out of Oklahoma State. Rudolph ended up taking over for the struggling Will Levis in Tennessee last year and went 146-for-228 for 1,530 yards, nine touchdowns and nine interceptions in eight games (five starts). He's pretty much been a game manager in his five years in the NFL, and he'll represent insurance for Pittsburgh with Justin Fields leaving for the Jets and Russell Wilson unsettled on where he'll land. The Steelers likely signed Rudolph with the intention of him being a backup again.

The Athletic's Dianna Russini reports that the Minnesota Vikings decision-makers are still evaluating all of their options at quarterback, including the possibility of signing free-agent QB Aaron Rodgers. The four-time MVP is intrigued by the idea of playing in Minnesota, where he'd get to play his old team, the Green Bay Packers, twice a year. However, the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer is primarily choosing between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants after being officially labeled a post-June 1 cut by the New York Jets on Wednesday. Rodgers' decision is reportedly not about money at all but rather team fit. Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones both left Minnesota in free agency, leaving last year's first-rounder, J.J. McCarthy (knee) as the likely starter in Week 1, so bringing in Rodgers at this juncture could be sending the wrong message to the next franchise signal-caller. However, the Vikings do value QB depth and have said before they won't push McCarthy to start if he's not completely ready.