Aaron Rodgers confirmed what many speculated: In the late stages of his free agency, it was Pittsburgh or bust.
The Steelers' new quarterback spoke with reporters for the first time on Tuesday.
Rodgers, now 41 years old, acknowledged that he got interest from other squads early in his time as a free agent.
But by the end, this is how Rodgers summed it up: "It was here or not play."
"As I was going through my personal stuff, there wasn’t any other option for me," Rodgers added.
Rodgers was previously linked to the Giants, the Vikings and the idea of retirement.
The future first-ballot Hall of Famer gave a lot of credit to Steelers coach Mike Tomlin for sticking by him and giving him time to figure things out.
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Now, the Steelers will be hoping Tomlin's intuition on the matter pays off.
Rodgers had his moments last season, but the in-flux Jets only went 5-12 as a team.
Pittsburgh hasn't had a losing season in more than two decades, and the Steelers won't want that to change.
If Rodgers embraces the right mindset, he can still make great throws and lead his team to wins. The Steelers are hoping to be very glad that he chose them over any alternatives.
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