The Pittsburgh Steelers are heading into the 2025 NFL season with Aaron Rodgers as their starting quarterback. On paper, having a four-time NFL MVP, Super Bowl champion, and future Pro Football Hall of Famer as the starting quarterback of one’s team breeds confidence that the franchise will compete. However, Rodgers is 41 years old and is coming off of his worst full statistical season.
In 2024, while playing for the New York Jets, Rodgers completed 63.0% of his passes for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and had a passer rating of 90.5. In 2022, his final season with the Green Bay Packers, he completed 64.6% of his passes for 3,695 yards, 26 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and a passer rating of 91.1.
For many, the writing is on the wall: Rodgers is in the midst of a major decline in his play. However, he still believes that he can play at a high level and help the Steelers compete for a Super Bowl.
One of his former teammates on the Packers does not think so.
Former Green Bay Packers LB Brady Poppinga Does Not Think Aaron Rodgers Makes the Pittsburgh Steelers Contenders
Jun 10, 2025; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) during minicamp at their South Side facility. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images
Jun 10, 2025; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) during minicamp at their South Side facility. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images
Brady Poppinga was selected by the Packers in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft, the draft Green Bay will forever be remembered for because they selected Rodgers in the first round. Poppinga spent the first six seasons of his eight-year NFL career playing with Rodgers in Green Bay, winning a Super Bowl with the team in his final season with them.
Earlier this week, Poppinga told Bill Reiter (via CBS Sports) that he does not think his former teammate will be able to lead the Steelers to the postseason:
“I went to the Jets-Patriots game last year, and the thing that was sticking out about Aaron that was different was simply, it’s almost this unwillingness — I wouldn’t say unwillingness, because he’s tough — it’s almost like the body is tired and doesn’t want to take the hit.
“There’s a lot of flinching, there’s a lot of, I would say his vision is going from reading the field to the rush, which isn’t usually normal for high-level quarterbacks. High-level quarterbacks are kind of able to feel the rush and then they’re able to then keep their eyes downfield.
“As soon as you take your eye sight from the field — which is where your receivers are and how they’re spread out and configured in space versus the defenders — a receiver literally could come open and all of a sudden could become covered in a tenth of a second.
“By the time you’re looking down at the rush and then back up to where you don’t see them even come open or even have a chance to come in open space. And that’s where I see him and that comes with age. It just a reality. It’s just human nature. Your body gets tired of getting hit, once it does, you begin to what I call flinch.
“It’s not that he’s being weak, it’s not that he’s not tough, it’s just that you’re getting tired. Tom Brady went through it. Brett Favre went through it, but everybody goes through it in the game of football.”
Poppinga also notes that Rodgers, who has been sacked more than any quarterback in NFL history, simply may not be able to withstand the physicality of a full NFL season.
And Pittsburgh certainly had its hesitations at first. It is well-known by now that Rodgers was not their first choice to be their starting quarterback in 2025. They first tried to re-sign Justin Fields and then tried to trade with Matthew Stafford.
Obviously, neither transaction worked out, and they pivoted to Rodgers.
Now they are placing their 2025 seasons in the hands of a 41-year-old quarterback who, as mentioned, is showing signs of decline.
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