The biggest news from the Pat McAfee-Aaron Rodgers bro show Wednesday was Rodgers saying, “I’m a free agent.”
Hmmm. I wonder if he’s thinking about the Minnesota Vikings. I would be, although at least if Rodgers returns to the Steelers he won’t have to ignore Jonnu Smith again. News broke Wednesday that Smith will be cut. Maybe Arthur Smith could bring him to Ohio State and design some tight-end running plays.
I’m also wondering, based on Rodgers saying he doesn’t have an offer from the Steelers, if general manager Omar Khan is as enamored with the idea of a Rodgers return as coach Mike McCarthy seems to be. Khan is flexing newfound muscle within the organization these days, notably as the point man in hiring McCarthy. Might this be another example?
What’s the hold up if the Steelers badly want Rodgers? Free agency starts next week. You’d think there would be some urgency on the team’s part if the interest is real.
Then again, maybe this is all a big Rodgers ruse, and both sides already know he’s coming back. That’s what happened last year. Mike Tomlin told everybody after the fact he knew all along — all through the months-long offseason charade — that Rodgers was a lock to sign. That could easily be the case again.
Who knows?
I suppose we’ll find out soon enough. Or not. I feel like I’ve seen this movie before, and it wasn’t that interesting the first time. Rodgers was better than expected but still finished with a lower passer rating than Russell Wilson the year before and threw two pick sixes in the worst home playoff loss in franchise history.
I found myself way more interested in the television-show aspect of the story Wednesday. What an absolute train wreck, which I guess is kind of the idea. Both men had to know the only thing anybody wanted to hear was Rodgers answering some form of this question: “Are you going to play for the Steelers next season?”
When McAfee finally got around to it, he unleashed maybe the worst and longest question in sports television history. I’ve heard bad questions, and I’ve heard long questions. I don’t know that I’ve ever heard what McAfee puked up Wednesday.
I realize McAfee doesn’t do typical sports talk. He doesn’t really interview people. He doesn’t pretend to be a journalist. He does bro talk. Good for him (and his bank account). He has become a cultural phenomenon by being himself, and part of the act is the sleeveless shirts, the ripped arms and the brash demeanor.
So why was he so afraid to ask Rodgers a straight question?
It almost became a game. When was he going to broach the obvious topic? Finally, nearly a half-hour in, McAfee made his move in the form of a meandering, fawning, apologetic version of the question above.
The following is an actual transcript:
“What it sounds like is the offense that you’ve known your entire NFL-ness is starting to become a little bit more significant around the entire NFL, and maybe this West Coast offense that Mike McCarthy is certainly going to bring in is something that you’ve mastered for a pretty long time. You’ve obviously had to do a couple of different offenses as the game has changed, but this is the one that you were birthed upon in the NFL, so that would mean you would want to be back in it? Right?”
Oh, he wasn’t finished. Before Rodgers could translate whatever that was, McAfee continued, seemingly fearful he’d offended Rodgers by sort of asking if he wanted to play for the Steelers again and certainly not wanting to upset him with a straight question.
The following also is an actual transcript:
“OK, now you would have to make the decision you’d still want to play … Right? Which I’m not putting … I want you to know that if you don’t want to say anything, we do not give a (crap). Now, is there a lot of people that want to hear if you want to play next year or not at this exact moment? Definitely. But you have earned the right at this stage, 21 years in the NFL, first-ballot Hall of Famer, Mt. Rushmore in this entire thing, to figure out what is right for you and what you want to do, so you don’t feel like we are putting a deadline on you. But, have you got to that point where it’s like, would be cool to play in Big Mike’s system again, would be cool to be in Big Mike’s building again, would be cool to get a chance to maybe rewrite the ending of our relationship in a place that although it is not the same, has similar history whenever it comes to NFL story (sic)? How much of that convo have you had with yourself at this stage and what has that been like, reliving what could possibly be next year.”
I’m sorry. WHAT?
In total, McAfee’s question came to 300 words. Rodgers’ answer was almost as ridiculous: “Well, I want to say that anybody who is expecting me to make some big decision, just turn it off now. Just leave.”
He didn’t have to ask me twice. I saw later that A.J. Hawk, who usually plays a department-store mannequin on the show, piped up with the kind of question everybody wanted, asking Rodgers, “Is it Pittsburgh or bust?”
Hawk got laughed out of the room. McAfee jumped in to bust his chops: “That’s a good question, A.J. — and the ‘J’ stands for journalism.”
I get it. McAfee would rather pass out than commit an act of journalism. That’s fine. Nobody’s asking him to be Walter Cronkite. But why so afraid to ask a simple question?