Once enemies on the field, Brian Urlacher has no problem giving Aaron Rodgers his due. Not just for what he’s done but what Rodgers is capable of doing in 2025 with the Pittsburgh Steelers. That could result in leading Pittsburgh to heights it hasn’t experienced in years.
“I would say 11, 12 wins,” Urlacher said on 670 The Score when asked for the Steelers’ ceiling. “[Mike] Tomlin’s never finished under .500. I don’t see that happening this year.”
Brian Urlacher believes Aaron Rodgers could lead the Steelers to an 11-win or 12-win season in 2025.
"I'm an Aaron Rodgers fan, people can get mad if they want to," Urlacher says. pic.twitter.com/dBkaXfhswL
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) July 16, 2025
Pittsburgh has been stuck in a 9-10 win cycle for the past four seasons. Since 1978, they are the only team to win nine or 10 games without a playoff victory in four-straight seasons. The Steelers haven’t won more than 10 games since 2020, starting 11-0 and finishing 12-4 before being bounced by the Cleveland Browns in the Wild Card round.
Urlacher acknowledged Pittsburgh residing in a tough AFC North but likes the roster built around Rodgers.
“As a football fan, I want to see what he can do with that team,” he said. “They got a great defense. They have DK Metcalf. They’ve got some guys on offense that can play. If Aaron comes back two years after the Achilles injury the way we think he will, I think he’ll have a good season.”
Rodgers looked uncomfortable in 2024, his first season after tearing his Achilles four plays into his first season with the Jets. Several players who have dealt with the injury, or any major knee/leg injury, have noted the difference between that first and second year back. The first year still involves rehab and recovery, taking away from offseason training. There’s often also a mental block for the player to get over, to fully trust their body coming off a serious ailment. The second year can be fully dedicated to football.
However, past history doesn’t support that. Achilles tears in quarterbacks are rare and make case studies limited, but Miami Dolphins QB Dan Marino wasn’t better two years after his 1993 Achilles tear than he was the year after. The same is true for Vinny Testaverde after tearing his Achilles in 1999 (which famously forced punter Tom Tupa to play quarterback).
Urlacher singing the praises of a former Packer might raise eyebrows in Chicago. Especially one like Rodgers who has owned the Bears, posting a 24-5 regular-season record and is poised to play Chicago one more time in 2025. But Urlacher, who noted his wife is a Steelers fan, is just calling balls and strikes.
“I’m an Aaron Rodgers fan,” he said. “People can get mad if they want to. I like the way he plays. I like what he stands for. I like what he says. I’m a fan.”
Urlacher will likely root against Rodgers when the Steelers and Bears square off. But if Urlacher’s 12-win ceiling comes true, odds are good Pittsburgh will leave Chicago as a victor this November.
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