Jim Nantz pleads for Aaron Rodgers to join Steelers: ‘We want you, we need you, we look forward to seeing you’

The Pittsburgh Steelers want Aaron Rodgers, even as the quarterback publicly hesitates to make any kind of commitment regarding his NFL future. And the Steelers aren’t alone in wanting Rodgers in Pittsburgh, with CBS Sports play-by-play great Jim Nantz recently making a “personal plea” for the longtime signal-caller to join the AFC North contender, insisting the partnership makes sense for all sides.

“We have a heavy Pittsburgh influence on our schedule,” Nantz said on NFL Network Wednesday, helping reveal the 2025 slate. “There’s a lot there to like about the Steelers, especially if they’re good. … [So] I don’t know if you’re watching, Aaron Rodgers. I hope you are. But I want you to know … [that] just a few of my colleagues and some friends, we wanna see you in the Steel City this season.

“We need the Steelers to be good,” Nantz continued, joking that he and his friends are willing to contribute “up to seven figures” as a “feel-good” incentive for Rodgers to put pen to paper in Pittsburgh. “They need you. I saw you play last year. … I know you can still play. You get doubled-up with Mike Tomlin and T.J. Watt on that defense. I think it’d be a great thing. Let’s get this thing done. I’m just making a personal appeal: We want you, we need you, and we look forward to seeing you.”

CBS will carry the Steelers’ first game of the 2025 season at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 7, which just so happens to be a matchup with Rodgers’ former team, the New York Jets.