As world waits for Aaron Rodgers to make a final decision on where he will play in this season, one thing seems perfectly clear.  Omar Khan, and the Steelers learned nothing from the 2024 offseason.  As if the Brandon Aiyuk debacle wasn’t bad enough, the Steelers are going in for seconds this year.  Khan is leading this  team down the same path as the previous year, only at a different position.

It was exactly a year ago we were on Brandon Aiyuk watch.  The Steelers held out hope they could get a deal done well past the draft.  In the end it was clear Brandon Aiyuk was never serious about coming to Pittsburgh.  If he was, they would not have continued to negotiate with the 49ers the entire time.  Meanwhile the Steelers had no backup plan to speak of.  They were left with a cast of characters at wide receiver that was no where near good enough. To sum up, the Steelers plan at wide receiver was an epic fail. Time to stop giving Omar Khan a pass in the Steelers blame game

Fast forward to 2025, and they are headed down the same path.  Another star player is using the Steelers as leverage while they wait for a better offer to come in.   There is a very likely scenario where Rodgers signs elsewhere, and Mason Rudolph is the 2025 version of Van Jefferson.  Meanwhile very variable options like Daniel Jones or Geno Smith are allowed to slip away.  The similarities are so striking to what happened to them in 2024, it is almost unforgivable.

What happened to this being THE Pittsburgh Steelers?  A place where players wait in line to come to, not a place where they wait in line for the player.  By not setting a deadline in either case, Omar Khan has shown he can be taken advantage of.  Agents and players now know they can manipulate the Steelers.  It’s an awful precedent to set, and one that will hurt them in negotiations for years to come.

It’s not too late to fix this, at least somewhat.  Omar Khan needs to summon the courage to go to Aaron Rodgers’ people and give them 24 hours.  If they don’t comply, walk away.  Go trade for Kirk Cousins, sign someone, or just stick with Mason Rudolph.  Don’t just sit back, and let history repeat itself.  Take back some of your dignity Omar Khan.  Show the league you have the guts to walk away from this circus.  What might hurt you in the short term, will help you in the future.

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