Aaron Rodgers made his first visit of free agency to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday.
Rodgers, 41, was at the Steelers’ facility in person, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and met with head coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Omar Khan.
The four-time MVP was believed to be waiting on the Minnesota Vikings to decide if they were interested in Rodgers before proceeding further in his free agent process.
The Vikings determined this week that they will not be pursuing Rodgers at this time because they are committed to second-year pro J.J. McCarthy as their franchise QB.
So now Rodgers has taken one step closer toward possibly signing elsewhere, although Friday’s visit did not guarantee that a deal was imminent.
It’s still possible the recently released Jets quarterback could make an in-person visit to the Giants after spending time with the Steelers. He owns a house in Cedar Grove, N.J., so it would not be difficult for him to stop in East Rutherford.
Rodgers also could retire if he wishes, but he does appear to be interested in playing.
The Giants are at risk of being left at the altar a second time in the past month, first by the Rams’ Matthew Stafford in trade talks and now potentially Rodgers in free agency.
Russell Wilson always has felt like the odds-on favorite to be the Giants‘ free agent signing this spring. And if Rodgers chooses the Steelers, Wilson and Jameis Winston would become the most likely candidates to fill that slot.
Wilson, Winston and Joe Flacco all have taken free agent visits to the Giants in the past week and a half as the team has waited on Rodgers to make a decision.
The lack of quality and clarity at quarterback for the Giants right now is embarrassing, and they are expected to draft a rookie quarterback in late April — potentially with the No. 3 overall selection in the NFL Draft.
The chances of doing so with their highest pick increase if Rodgers chooses Pittsburgh.