Aaron Rodgers might actually be ready to sign with the Steelers, plus ranking the NFL's worst QB rooms

Rodgers-to-Pittsburgh speculation heats up as rookie betting markets and top remaining free agents headline Thursday's NFL rundown

John Breech

May 7, 2026

12:48 pm ET

•

11 min read

Getty Images

Welcome to the Thursday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!

I didn't think it would ever happen, but the Aaron Rodgers free agency watch might finally be coming to an end. We are currently on Day 67 (at least I think it's Day 67; there's a 50% chance I lost count), and it appears Rodgers might actually sign a new deal with the Steelers this weekend.

We'll have the latest on that in this newsletter. Although the Rodgers watch may soon be ending, we can skip straight to "schedule release watch." I think the NFL is still targeting next week for a possible release (May 13 or 14), but until we have an official date, it's possible the release gets delayed a week to May 20 or 21.

Alright, let's stop talking about the schedule and get to the rundown so we can talk about Rodgers.

As always, here's your reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the newsletter.

1. Aaron Rodgers drama could soon be coming to an end: Here's everything we know

Getty Images

When it comes to speculation about Aaron Rodgers' future, it has been a wild week. We've had a Cardinals receiver trying to recruit Rodgers, we've had the Cardinals' coach being asked about possibly signing Rodgers, and now, we have a report that Rodgers might end up signing with the Steelers by the end of the weekend.

Here's the latest:

- Rodgers could be signing with the Steelers in the next few days. The Rodgers drama could end as soon as Friday. According to 93.7 the Fan in Pittsburgh, the four-time NFL MVP is expected to fly into Pittsburgh on Thursday night and sign a deal with the team at some point over the weekend, so that could happen at any point between Friday and Sunday. According to NFL Network, there's no deal in place yet, but the two sides will have "further discussions" about getting a contract done. Of course, this is Rodgers we're talking about, so you can't be sure it's going to happen until it actually happens, but this will be something to keep your eye on over the weekend. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steelers want an answer from Rodgers about his future by the start of OTAs on May 18, and it looks like they're going to get that.

- What might be holding up the deal. If the two sides are having "further discussions" about a contract, that could mean Rodgers would like to actually make some money this year. Last season, Rodgers gave the Steelers a discount by signing a one-year deal worth just $13.65 million. This year, the Steelers used the unrestricted free agent tender, which guarantees him a 10% raise to $15 million for 2026, but he might want more than that.

- Kendrick Bourne is trying to recruit Rodgers to Arizona. Earlier this week, the Cardinals wide receiver started the process of recruiting Rodgers to Arizona by sending the QB a simple six-word message, "Come on we waiting on you." The Cardinals have four quarterbacks -- Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, Kedon Slovis and third-round rookie Carson Beck -- but Rodgers would be a sizable upgrade over any of them, which probably explains why Bourne is trying to get the 18-year veteran to Arizona.

- Mike LaFleur addressed the Rodgers situation this week. During an appearance on "The Jim Rome Show," the Cardinals' new coach was asked about the possibility of Rodgers landing in Arizona. "Honestly, right now, we're focused on the guys that we've got coming in," LaFleur said. "We've got the unit that we have -- Gardner, Jacoby and Slovis -- and then we drafted Carson Beck in the third round. We've got a room we are excited to work with, and that's solely where my focus is."

Rodgers could put an end to all the speculation and rumors by signing with the Steelers, so it will be interesting to see what happens over the next 72 hours.

2. Ranking the worst QB rooms in the NFL: Browns in a class by themselves

The modern NFL has turned into a quarterback league. Most teams in the NFL can only go as far as their QB, and for some teams, that's a good thing. However, it's also a bad thing for the teams who haven't been able to get their QB situation figured out this offseason.

With that in mind, Garrett Podell decided to rank the worst QB rooms in the NFL.

Let's check out the top three teams on his list (and being No. 1 is actually a bad thing, because it means you're the worst).

1. Browns (Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, Taylen Green). There is no quarterback room more chaotic than that of the Browns.

2. Jets (Geno Smith, Cade Klubnik, Brady Cook, Bailey Zappe). The Jets have three first-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft: their own, the Indianapolis Colts' and the lowest first-round pick between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay