If Aaron Rodgers wasn’t to have success most 41-year-olds don’t have, he’ll have to do things differently than when he was 31. To avoid the pitfalls of last season’s disaster with the New York Jets, a 5-12 finish that led to everyone, himself included, getting fired, Rodgers will have to change his playing style. That’s the belief of at least some NFL personnel previewing Rodgers’ 2025 campaign with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“There’s enough people around the league I’ve talked to that believe he’s gonna have to change the way he plays a little bit,” Bleacher Report’s James Palmer said during a livestream last week. “The improvising, the holding onto the football, scrambling around some of the things that made him very, very special. Obviously at this age in this physicality. Where he’s at, it’s gonna be a little bit different.”
Rodgers came out of college as best of both worlds. An improvising precision passer, he had enough mobility to escape the pocket, extend the play, and deliver a dime from a solid base or off-platform. Here’s just one example. Beating the blitz, stepping into the pocket, falling away, and throwing a seed for a big gain.
But those are plays Rodgers can no longer reliably make. Palmer points out the risks.
“He wants to stay healthy for the duration of the season…Keeping him healthy, keeping him upright, how does that change?” he said.
That above throw illustrates it well. A great throw from Aaron Rodgers but one where he takes a free shot and lands hard on his throwing shoulder. That’s the type of hit he can take once but not repeatedly over the course of a season. Last year, Rodgers battled a knee injury that hampered his play the first half of the season. He started all 17 games but didn’t look healthy until late in the year.
Pittsburgh’s young offensive line has an obvious and important role in protecting Rodgers. If that unit struggles, so will Rodgers. But his game has also evolved. Consider this. In 2018, Rodgers’ snap-to-throw time sat at 2.95 seconds, fifth-longest in the NFL per NextGenStats. Only scramblers like Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and a younger Russell Wilson held the ball longer. In 2024, Rodgers’ snap-to-throw time was cut down to 2.69 seconds, sixth-quickest in the league.
In the face of pressure real and perceived, he routinely found his checkdown as Jets’ running backs combined to catch 85 passes. That amounted to 23-percent of Rodgers’ completions.
It’s part of the dance offensive coordinator Arthur Smith must perform. Finding the happy medium in allowing Rodgers to play to his strengths, still able to wow with the occasional throwback moment, while recognizing Rodgers needs more protection than ever before. That balance is key for all parties to make this work in a one-year dash to make the most out of the Steelers’ season and Rodgers’ final NFL year.
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