UFL executive Doug Whaley made NFL headlines on Wednesday during his regular weekly appearance on Pittsburgh’s 93.7 The Fan. The Pittsburgh native, former Steelers exec, and ex-Bills general manager came out strongly against free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
The four-time NFL MVP, officially released by the New York Jets on Wednesday, is contemplating his next career move. He is mulling offers from the Steelers and New York Giants, with some reports listing the Minnesota Vikings as a potential dark-horse candidate.
On his ‘Wednesday with Whaley’ segment, the UFL executive took issue with Rodgers, who the Steelers are said to be waiting on as a replacement for the departed Justin Fields and incumbent 2024 starter Russell Wilson.
“It’s all about Aaron Rodgers,” “And it has nothing to do with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s gonna hold the whole franchise hostage while waiting for him to make a decision. But that’s par for the course when you deal with a guy like Aaron Rodgers.”
Whaley didn’t mince words, questioning Rodgers’ character and his former team’s interest in the future first-ballot Hall of Famer.
“If I’m Omar Khan (Steelers GM), and I’m the Pittsburgh Steelers. One, you shouldn’t be surprised, and two, you have to sit down and really think about, Do we want to sign up for this? Because he’s setting the table and precedent early, it’s all about Aaron Rodgers, and it has nothing to do with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s going to hold the whole franchise hostage, waiting for him to make a decision, but that’s par for the course, when you deal with a guy like Aaron Rodgers.
So you have to make sure you really want this, not only in your locker room but also as the face of your franchise. It’s not going to be the Pitsburgh Steelers anymore, it’s gonna be Aaron Rodgers’ Pittsburgh Steelers.
Whaley also questioned Rodgers’s ability to conform to an offensive system, insisting that the veteran quarterback could potentially seek free reign in play calling and audibling.
The former Steelers personnel executive said he is hopeful that Pittsburgh’s slow-moving offseason plan, which includes a waiting game for Rodgers, is a deliberate strategy to tank for a higher draft pick next season and potentially secure a franchise quarterback with better draft ammunition. Whaley says that would be his strategy if he were in charge of the Steelers.
Doug Whaley’s UFL Status
Whaley has been a fixture in the Spring Pro Football scene since being hired by the XFL as a senior vice president of football operations in 2018. Three years ago, he interviewed for the Steelers GM position. A Pittsburgh native and former Pitt Panthers defensive back, Whaley spent a decade working under Kevin Colbert in the Steelers’ personnel department.
Outside of the brief audition with his native team and some executive collaboration. Whaley has been mainly outside the NFL bubble since his last prominent gig with the Bills nearly a decade ago. Ironically, under current UFL president Russ Brandon, who was in a similar position with Buffalo.
Typically, executives inside the NFL bubble, whether employed or not, will tend to give more diplomatic answers when discussing specific players publicly. Whaley’s current position gives him more latitude to speak freely about a high-profile quarterback like Rodgers.
Whaley was recently interviewed by UFLNewshub’s Greg Parks at Alt Football Digest. The current UFL exec delved into many different topics, including the league’s standing on current CBA negotiations with UFL players, who are prepping for the upcoming season, which kicks off on Friday, March 28.
