Just lately signed Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Brandin Echols beforehand shared a locker room with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wasn’t shy about recruiting Rodgers to affix him in Pittsburgh.
With Rodgers seemingly ready to listen to again from the Minnesota Vikings, longtime Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward went a special route whereas talking in regards to the future Corridor of Fame signal-caller on the most recent version of his “Not Simply Soccer” podcast.
“I ain’t doing that darkness retreat,” Heyward stated whereas talking about Rodgers’ unsure future, as shared by Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “I do not want any of that crap. Both you wish to be a Pittsburgh Steeler or you do not. It is that easy. That is the pitch. If you’d like me to recruit, that is the recruiting pitch. Pittsburgh Steelers. If you wish to be a part of it, so be it. When you do not, no pores and skin off my again.”
Heyward was referring to how Rodgers entered a much-publicized darkness retreat following the 2022 season “90 p.c retired and 10 p.c taking part in” earlier than he determined he wished to be traded from the Inexperienced Bay Packers to the New York Jets. Rodgers in the end missed nearly all of his first marketing campaign with the Jets after he suffered a torn Achilles 4 offensive snaps into his Gang Inexperienced regular-season debut, and it was reported final March that then-presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was contemplating naming Rodgers his operating mate.
Rodgers ultimately made 17 begins for the 2024 Jets however struggled via quite a few injury issues because the membership received simply 5 video games. It stays somewhat unclear how a lot his weekly appearances on “The Pat McAfee Present” and the actual fact he skipped New York’s two-day obligatory minicamp due to a pre-planned journey to Egypt final June impacted the crew’s resolution to go in a special course this offseason.
Reports have indicated the Steelers and New York Giants are able to signal Rodgers, however he has hinted by way of his actions and silence that he desires to affix a Vikings aspect that went 14-3 with Sam Darnold within the lineup this previous season. It is unknown if Minnesota would moderately begin Rodgers or 2024 first-round draft choose J.J. McCarthy after McCarthy spent his rookie marketing campaign recovering from a full meniscus repair.
“I simply wish to play soccer,” Heyward added. “I am uninterested in speaking in regards to the quarterback state of affairs. I would moderately have it executed. I do not know what finally ends up occurring. I am prepared to maneuver on into free company. There’s an excessive amount of happening.”
NFL Community’s Ian Rapoport reported on Monday night that Rodgers could not signal with a crew till proper earlier than the 2025 NFL Draft, which will get underway on April 24. It feels like Heyward would favor for the Steelers to go in a special course if Rodgers intends to stay a free agent via the Easter vacation.
