The Pittsburgh Steelers signed four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers to lead their offense this season, but former Steelers RB Jerome Bettis doesn’t think that the 41-year-old Rodgers is going to play to that elite level for Pittsburgh. Bettis believes that Rodgers can be a good quarterback but that the Steelers can’t expect him to be one of the best in the game.
“I think he could be a good quarterback. I don’t think they need him to be a great quarterback,” Bettis [said on The Zack Gelb Show](https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=zn8BUMOKPTw). “I think if the Steelers need him to be a great quarterback, they’ve got misconceptions and it’s gonna be a really, really, really bad year for them.”
Bettis believes that if the Steelers can protect Rodgers (which [he does think is a question mark](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/06/can-you-protect-him-jerome-bettis-shares-his-biggest-question-about-steelers-and-aaron-rodgers/)), the team has a strong run game and Rodgers can still succeed.
“If you expect him to be the guy that’s the MVP of the league, that’s not gonna happen,” Bettis said. “But I do believe he’s got an opportunity on a really good football team and they’re not asking him to do too much.”
The Steelers likely aren’t expecting to get prime Rodgers, but he is expected to be the best quarterback the team has had since Ben Roethlisberger retired. With Arthur Smith running the offense, the Steelers are going to look to run the ball and not put too much pressure on Rodgers. However, Rodgers needs to be more than just a game manager at the position if the Steelers want to have success.
Despite a down season with the Jets in 2024, Rodgers still showed flashes of the arm talent that’s made him one of the best quarterbacks of all-time. He’ll have one of the league’s best wideouts in DK Metcalf this season, and there’s a good enough supporting cast that Rodgers shouldn’t be hung out to dry.
I don’t think it’s a stretch to say Rodgers can be pretty good for the Steelers. He’s not going to be the league MVP, but the Steelers leaning on Rodgers shouldn’t be a bad thing. They shouldn’t be expecting him to play at an MVP level, and if they are, then maybe Bettis is right that the season could go sideways, but I don’t think it’s as doom and gloom as Bettis makes it out to be if the team relies on Rodgers more heavily than some of its past quarterbacks.
A strong run game will obviously make Rodgers’ life easier. If the offense can click and the Steelers can establish the run, they won’t need to rely on Rodgers as much, and it should make for a good offense. But if the Steelers do lean on Rodgers and need him to make a few plays, the season shouldn’t be a disaster.