Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward said his words were “misconstrued” when he initially addressed the notion of quarterback Aaron Rodgers joining his team.
Speaking on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football,” Heyward said on he was answering a specific question on his podcast as to whether he’d chase the four-time NVP into a darkness retreat in order to get him to play for the Steelers.
“Either you want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler, or you don’t. It’s that simple. That’s the pitch,” Heyward said at the time.
Heyward elected to clarify his stance on Wednesday, five days after Rodgers visited the Steelers.
“Yes, it was misconstrued. From my point of view, I was asked the question of, ‘Would you go to the lengths of going to a darkness retreat to recruit Aaron Rodgers?’ I said, ‘I’m not doing that,’ ” Heyward said. “The pitch is: If you wanna be a Steeler, be a Steeler. It wasn’t meant that I don’t like Rodgers or I’m against it. I think when I look at our team right now, it would be really cool to have a guy like Aaron Rodgers, but I can’t be the guy who gets it over the finish line. I think he’s got to make those decisions for himself.”
The free-agent quarterback landscape has changed, with the New York Giants signing both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston and the Minnesota Vikings reportedly content on going forward with J.J. McCarthy — narrowing the teams that could have a spot for Rodgers. The 10th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. McCarthy missed the entire season following surgery to repair his torn right meniscus.
“I have not had any communication with (Rodgers),” Heyward said. “I was actually with some strength coaches that day he was in the building. I think they were trying to get everybody out of the building so they could just have a conversation with him. But what I would say to him? I would just say, you know, if you come to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the goal is to win. You know, we haven’t had the success we want, but the goal is still in mind to raise a Lombardi and bring that seventh one to Pittsburgh. We don’t really care about the glitz and glam of New York, but the focus is on good hard football, competing every day, challenging each other, trying to go from there.”
The New York Jets released Rodgers on March 12, making him a free agent for the first time in his career.
The only quarterbacks on the Steelers’ current roster are Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson.
Rodgers, 41, passed for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2024, returning from a season-ending Achilles injury suffered in his first game with the Jets in September 2023.
The 10-time Pro Bowl selection and four-time NFL Most Valuable Player ranks fifth in league history in touchdown passes (503) and seventh in passing yards (62,952).
