Aaron Rodgers to sign with Steelers: Fantasy Football fallout, where to draft Pittsburgh players, more

Rodgers is finally signing with the Steelers and here's what it means for the Fantasy season

Aaron Rodgers will reportedly fly to Pittsburgh to sign a contract to become the Steelers starting quarterback just ahead of their mandatory minicamp. He will sign a one-year contract with the Steelers, CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones confirms. Rodgers will join a Steelers roster that swapped out George Pickens for D.K. Metcalf as their No. 1 wide receiver option for 2025 while also adding talented running back Kaleb Johnson in the draft. The Steelers are also reportedly in trade discussions to acquire tight end Jonnu Smith. The most interesting aspect of the Rodgers-Steelers marriage will be how fast and how well he can mesh with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

Fantasy Football Today's Jamey Eisenberg views the Rodgers signing as an upgrade for the rest of the Steelers position players, but he is skeptical of drafting the veteran quarterback in 1-QB Fantasy formats:

"In Superflex and two-quarterback leagues, Rodgers has plenty of value as a reserve worth drafting with a late-round pick," Eisenberg said. "But he should not be drafted in most one-quarterback leagues. His age, performance during his last two healthy seasons and the lack of weapons in Pittsburgh's passing game are all problematic. That said, Rodgers should be great for DK Metcalf given how Rodgers typically features his No. 1 receiver. Metcalf is worth drafting in Round 5 as a borderline No. 2 receiver in all leagues."

FFT host Adam Aizer was a bit more optimistic about the fit for 2025 Fantasy leagues:

The Steelers are now hitching their wagon to a 41-year-old who went 5-12 with the Jets last season with the worst passer rating of his career. Sounds great, right!? Believe it or not, I am enthusiastic about this signing from a Fantasy perspective as Rodgers should be more productive than Mason Rudolph (Pittsburgh's backup quarterback) and should be a boost for D.K. Metcalf's Fantasy value. 

Rodgers has little value outside of 2-QB or Superflex leagues. He offers very little with his legs and will be on a run-heavy offense. There is one thing I love about Rodgers though: He peppers his top wide receiver with targets year after year. Garrett Wilson was on pace for 190 targets before the Jets acquired Davante Adams. Adams was on pace for 176 targets in his 11 games with the Jets. Don't expect that kind of volume for Metcalf because the Steelers will run the ball a ton, but you should expect Metcalf to dominate targets and be targeted frequently in the red zone. I like Metcalf as a Round 5 pick in a 12-team league. 

The Rodgers signing doesn't change much for the running backs for me, though it might give the Steelers a slightly better offense overall and create more scoring opportunities. I'd take Kaleb Johnson as a borderline Top 24 running back and Jaylen Warren as a borderline Top 36 running back. Rodgers has finished Top 10 in RB target rate in four of his last five seasons.

Consider Pat Freiermuth a streamer at tight end. He has a good chance to be second on the team in targets which gives him a chance to be Fantasy relevant. I don't think he's worth drafting in 12-team leagues but he is worth keeping an eye on. And finally, for you deep leaguers, Roman Wilson could to be a Top 50 wide receiver. Keep an eye on him in training camp.

The Steelers certainly got a lot more exciting with Rodgers now in the mix.