If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong place. Especially if you’re stuck in that room with Aaron Rodgers.
Imagine how his personality and his game might play in Arizona.
The Cardinals have made it impossible to ignore such absurdities. New head coach Mike LaFleur danced around the subject during a media appearance with Jim Rome, refusing to stomp out the speculation. New wide receiver Kendrick Bourne actively courted Rodgers on social media, saying the Steelers aren’t the only team waiting on him to be their quarterback. And Patrick Rooney Jr. – cousin of Steelers owner Art Rooney II – told a Pittsburgh podcast that the Cardinals actually reached out and inquired with the Steelers about the status of Rodgers.
“They did ask about (Rodgers) there,” Rooney Jr. said. “Yes, they did.”
Pat Rooney Jr. has no official title or affiliation with the Steelers. But it’s very plausible that he has insider access. And such an inquiry would also explain why the Steelers suddenly deployed a rarely used UFA tender on Rodgers, granting them a compensatory pick should he suddenly sign with another team.
So, what exactly are the Cardinals doing here? Are they really pursuing a legend well out of his prime, like they once did with Emmitt Smith; like the Suns did with Shaq? Like the Diamondbacks did with Madison Bumgarner?
Start here: this story doesn’t exist without Nathaniel Hackett, the new offensive coordinator in Arizona. Hackett and Rodgers are extremely close. They share the same brain and the same sense of humor. Rodgers had his best three years under Hackett, featuring a trio of 13-win seasons and a pair of MVP trophies. They quote movie lines from “Goldmember” to each other. We all know Rodgers thrives when surrounded by people he trusts, and Hackett is at the top of the list.
On January 29th, Hackett took a job with the Dolphins. He was to serve as quarterbacks coach while advising and mentoring new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. But things changed quickly. Three days later, LaFleur was hired as head coach of the Cardinals. Hackett was offered a promotion to join the new staff in Arizona. At the time, the Dolphins were rumored to be frontrunners for Malik Willis, the former backup quarterback in Green Bay. That’s when a source said LaFleur’s brother Matt, head coach of the Packers, gave Hackett one bit of advice:
“The Cardinals need you more. Mike needs you more.”
So, was Rodgers always a target, with Hackett providing fast-lane access to a polarizing, heat-seeking quarterback? He would surely represent a short-term solution to apathy, irrelevancy and plummeting ticket sales surrounding the Cardinals.
There is also a chance this happened organically, that Jacoby Brissett’s contract demands failed spectacularly. He might have asked for a moderate raise. He might have told the team that an incumbent with his experience, his moxie and his statistics deserved far more than $6.25 million on the back end of a two-year deal. Maybe he asked for $15 million. Perfectly reasonable.
And maybe that’s when Hackett raised his hand and said: “Hey, we can get Aaron Rodgers for that kind of money.”
Either way, this is another strange twist for our NFL franchise, one that recently raved about Brissett’s performance in 2025. Yet they signed a reputable yet pricey backup in Gardner Minshew, whose compensation wasn’t that far from Brissett. They spent the 65th overall pick in the NFL Draft on Carson Beck, a player with six years of collegiate experience.
Now they’re allegedly pursuing Rodgers? None of it makes sense unless you’re watching the turnstiles.
For all their failures, the Cardinals have taken some wild swings over the years. Some end up deep in the bleachers, from Bruce Arians to J.J. Watt, from the final act of Kurt Warner’s Hollywood career to the awesome epilogue of Carson Palmer.
Theoretically, Rodgers could do the same. He could also be the next Kevin Durant, moody and self-absorbed with fingers pointing, the shiny object best avoided at all costs
Reach Bickley at [email protected]. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on Arizona Sports 98.7.
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