The pursuit of QB Aaron Rodgers is over. The Pittsburgh Steelers have their starting quarterback for the 2025 NFL season under contract. He’s already shown his arm strength throughout mandatory minicamp. And that’s a good sign for the 41 year old.
But there are still plenty of questions to be answered about the Steelers and Rodgers. Namely, why did they pursue Aaron Rodgers? His New York Jets tenure was a disappointment. And his final year with the Green Bay Packers wasn’t much better. So why would the Steelers decide that Rodgers is the answer?
They must believe Aaron Rodgers can still play quarterback at a high level. And they must believe that he’s the one to elevate them beyond simply being playoff contenders.
“I don’t think it’s crazy to think that a Super Bowl appearance is [not] out of their sights,” Peter Schrager said Thursday’s on ESPN’s First Take. “They didn’t do this to just mess around and say alright for one year. They did this because they think they’re a team that can get over the hump.”
That sounds absolutely preposterous at first glance. The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2016. They got run out of the stadium against the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round last year. So, how can a 41-year-old quarterback be the single piece that elevates them to Super Bowl contention?
Well, because Aaron Rodgers isn’t the only piece the Steelers added this offseason to address issues from last year. The first move was trading for WR DK Metcalf. And Schrager even says that the Steelers don’t trade for Metcalf (and sign Rodgers) if they don’t believe they can win in the playoffs.
And he’s right. Those aren’t long-term developmental moves (though the Steelers are keeping Metcalf around for a while). Those are moves you make to win right now.
“They went all-in,” Schrager said. “They said let’s pay [Rodgers] for one year, we’ll wait for him, and we’ll go all-in. I think they didn’t do this to say we’re gonna be a Wild Card team or Divisional Round team. I think they look at the division, they got their butts kicked by the Ravens on national TV in the playoffs and said, ‘We’re not gonna do that anymore.’”
Now, Aaron Rodgers doesn’t play defense, so he isn’t going to single-handedly fix the run defense issues. That’s why the Steelers added defensive linemen Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black in the draft. But keeping the ball safe while making big plays is something Rodgers can do. And that will benefit the defense.
Former NFL OL Mark Schlereth believes that Rodgers can help the Steelers have a “dynamic” offense this season. If the additions on the defense strengthen the weaknesses there, and the offense starts to play at a high level, then maybe the Steelers can be more than just contenders for a Wild Card berth.
That’s what their actions show that they believe, anyway. But the road ahead is quite tough in the AFC. There are the Ravens, of course. And the Cincinnati Bengals are always a tough out with QB Joe Burrow and company. Then there are the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills.
But the Steelers believe that Aaron Rodgers can help them contend with the best of the best in the NFL. Otherwise, none of the decisions this offseason make much sense at all.
Recommended for you