PALM BEACH, Fla. — Mike Tomlin was reluctant to discuss the possibility of Aaron Rodgers joining the Pittsburgh Steelers, never mind that the topic has fueled local and national intrigue for nearly three weeks.

But he did acknowledge the Steelers had a meeting with the four-time NFL MVP and got to know him on a more personal level. Otherwise, he was not very forthcoming about a possible deal with Rodgers — and said there is no specific timetable for doing so.

“It’s been reported that he spent a day with us and it was a really good day,” Tomlin said Sunday at the NFL owners meetings at The Breakers, his first public comment since his season-ending news conference.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Rodgers visited the team’s South Side facility on March 21 and met with Tomlin, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and general manager Omar Khan. The Steelers have a one-year deal on the table, and Rodgers left town without a contract.

They’ve been waiting since for a decision.

“He and I obviously have known each other for some time, so it was really good to spend some time together and get to know each other more intimately,” Tomlin said.

The Steelers have a long-held policy of not discussing potential free agents, and so it is with Rodgers, even though nearly every sports news outlet in the country has linked the former Green Bay Packers and New York Jets quarterback with the team.

In an interview session with members of the Steelers media, Tomlin said there is no deadline for signing Rodgers, the league’s seventh all-time leading passer.

“Deadlines don’t often bring that to a head,” Tomlin said.

Asked if he’d like to have it settled before the draft, Tomlin said, “I hadn’t thought a lot about it, to be honest with you.”

Tomlin said the Steelers have been using some of their pro-day visits to meet with some of the top quarterback prospects in the draft, such as Jalen Milroe, Will Howard, Quinn Ewers and Riley Leonard. They also had Tyler Shough in for a top-30 visit.

The Steelers have the 21st pick in the NFL, and it is highly unlikely they will use the selection on a quarterback. But without a second-round pick in the draft — they traded the choice as part of the DK Metcalf deal — the earliest the Steelers will possibly consider drafting a quarterback is the third round.

“Omar and I just got off a nice tour last week where we were at Notre Dame, Ohio State and Texas, for example,” Tomlin said. “I think all three of those institutions have quarterbacks that are draft eligible, so it’s been a good process for us.”

The Steelers appear to have run out of options to acquire a starter and Rodgers, who will be 42 in December, appears to have run out of options to sign with another team. It is also possible he could decide to retire.

If that is the case, the Steelers will be forced to acquire another veteran to serve as a backup, if not training camp competition for Mason Rudolph.

“It’s exciting to have him back and I know he’s excited to be back,” Tomlin said. “We like Mason Rudolph, but, you know, that’s no secret.”

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