Recently, former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum stated that he believes Aaron Rodgers will be “irrelevant” by November of this season. Considering he just joined the Pittsburgh Steelers, it might be a little soon to dismiss Rodgers. He might not be the same caliber of player that he used to be, but he still played fine last year. Chris Simms pushed back on Tannenbaum’s take.
“They’re always relevant with Johnny Who-The-Hell-Cares-Who-The-Quarterback-Is,” Simms said recently on Stugotz’s YouTube channel. “It doesn’t matter. I have a hard time thinking that. The point is not that they’d be relevant. I joke around early December the last few years with the Steelers where I’m like, ‘Don’t let them in the playoffs. It’s gonna be a boring-ass wild-card game. And if they upset somebody in the wild-card game, it’ll be even more of a fucking horrible travesty in the divisional game.’
“I’ve been like, ‘I don’t want to see them in the playoffs.’ Now, with this guy, I think our thoughts will change. We’ll go, ‘I think they can have some balance on offense. He can make some plays with his arm still. They might be able to make some waves, win a game, maybe win two in the playoffs.’ That’s where I’m excited with Pittsburgh and Aaron Rodgers. I’d be shocked if they were irrelevant by Thanksgiving.”
The Steelers haven’t had a losing season since 2003. They’ve only missed the playoffs three times in the last 10 years. Although things have been ugly for them in the postseason, throughout all of their recent turmoil at quarterback, they’ve continued to remain competitive.
Therefore, it’s hard to envision them hitting rock bottom with Rodgers under center. Look at the group of quarterbacks they’ve managed to win with over the last few seasons. It includes Devlin Hodges, Mason Rudolph, Mitch Trubisky, and Kenny Pickett. While he’s not as good as he once was, is Rodgers worse than any of those players?
Pittsburgh probably isn’t going to be a Super Bowl contender, but it could be a solid playoff team. Last season, with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields under center, the Steelers competed for the AFC North crown for most of the year.
Rodgers could provide them with better production at quarterback. The rest of their team should be better, too. They still have flaws, like wide receiver, but they’ve upgraded at positions like defensive line and cornerback.
However, it’s fair to question what the Steelers’ ceiling this year is. While Rodgers might have gas left in the tank, he might not be good enough to help Pittsburgh win a playoff game. There aren’t many quarterbacks who have found success after turning 40.
Rodgers is set to be two years removed from tearing his Achilles, though. Maybe that will help him feel rejuvenated. He sounds totally committed to Pittsburgh. Things didn’t go well for him with the New York Jets last year, and they were essentially irrelevant by November. However, the Steelers have better structure in place. They should be less dysfunctional than the Jets were last year.
Recently, the Steelers have mostly been an afterthought in the playoffs. That could change this season. Rodgers is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Even if he’s declined physically, his veteran wisdom and leadership could elevate the Steelers. Betting against Mike Tomlin and the Steelers hasn’t been a good idea in the past. Simms doesn’t seem interested in making that mistake.
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