With NFL OTAs fully underway, offseason acquisitions are getting their first opportunities to share the field with their new teammates. The lone exception for the Pittsburgh Steelers is Aaron Rodgers, who has not yet signed with the team as he continues to contemplate retirement. As the constant back-and-forth continues to drag along, Darius Slay might have hinted at frustration within the locker room.

After his initial practice with the Steelers, Slay called OTAs a time when “everybody has to buy in” and “sacrifice” for the team. While the comment was void of Rodgers' name, it could have been seen as a direct shot at the absentee quarterback, according to NBC Sports' Mike Florio.

“Rodgers isn't making the sacrifice; he hasn't even signed yet,” Florio wrote. “And he's quite possibly delaying putting pen to paper so that it won't be quite as conspicuous if he's under contract and stays away from voluntary practices, or, as he did last year, mandatory minicamp.”

Slay signed with the team in free agency after helping the Philadelphia Eagles win Super Bowl LIX. Though certainly on the tail end of his career, the Steelers signed the six-time Pro Bowler to help lead their relatively young secondary. Slay will team up with budding stars Joey Porter Jr. and Beanie Bishop.

Steelers continue to wait for Aaron Rodgers with OTAs underway

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While the Steelers' full team officially begins practicing, they remain without a quarterback. Their hesitation to add another name to the group indicates their belief in Rodgers eventually signing, but the clock continues to tick. Pittsburgh currently has just Mason Rudolph, Skylar Thompson and sixth-round rookie Will Howard dueling it out on the field.

Rudolph and Thompson both started games in 2024 for the Tennessee Titans and Miami Dolphins, respectively. The former also started 13 games for Pittsburgh from 2019 to 2023. However, all those opportunities did was prove that neither should be trusted as a long-term answer. Howard continues to gain steam and support from fans on social media, but remains far from a day-one starting option.

Carson Wentz, Tyler ‘Snoop' Huntley, Desmond Ridder and Teddy Bridgewater are the best remaining non-Rodgers options in free agency. Kirk Cousins, Tyrod Taylor and Taylor Heinicke are just a handful of potential targets who could also be available via trade. With training camps coming up in July, time is running out for the Steelers if they wish to have any success in 2025.