When will Aaron Rodgers show up? (Whenever he wants.)

As the Steelers launch their OTA sessions without quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the team and with no clear indication as to when he'll sign, it's fair to ask the obvious question.

When will Rodgers show up?

The answer is equally obvious: Whenever he wants.

With the Steelers dropping to a knee and holding the small box with the ring in it and remaining there for weeks while Rodgers decides what to do, the message is that they'll keep on waiting. Really, what else can they do? Ride with Mason Rudolph?

The Steelers are stuck. They've made their deal. They've surrendered the power to Rodgers. And they've done it happily, because they know he'll be far better than any quarterback they'd have since Ben Roethlisberger retired.

Coach Mike Tomlin has referred to the start of training camp as the "line of demarcation." But, really, if the depth chart consists of Rudolph, Skylar Thompson, and Will Howard, would the Steelers say no if Rodgers shows up in the middle of August, like Brett Favre did with the Vikings 16 years ago?

Here's the key. Even if Rodgers could be ready to go with limited prep, he and the Steelers will be better off if he has a minimum level of pre-camp preparation. Even though there won't be a clear link between Rodgers missing the offseason program and the Steelers losing regular-season games, limited prep puts more pressure on the situation.

If/when they struggle, people will make the obvious point that, if Rodgers had shown up earlier, maybe they wouldn't be.