The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most intriguing teams to watch heading into the 2025 NFL campaign. On paper, Aaron Rodgers and Co. look like Super Bowl contenders, but a lot can also go wrong for them.
Yes, the Steelers added Rodgers, D.K. Metcalf and Jalen Ramsey this offseason, but it's fair to wonder how much both Rodgers and Ramsey have left, and Mike Tomlin himself has taken his fair share of lumps in recent years.
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Rodgers is the main source of contention for most who have serious questions about Pittsburgh, but one NFL executive actually does not think the 41-year-old quarterback will hold the Steelers back. Quite the contrary, in fact.
In a poll conducted by Mike Sando of The Athletic, one league exec has Pittsburgh finishing fourth in the AFC, and he thinks it will be because Rodgers uplifted the team.
"People are saying Mike Tomlin is finally going to have a losing season, and it's going to be because of Rodgers," the exec said. "Nope. I see it the other way."
Rodgers spent the past couple of years with the New York Jets, missing all but one offensive series in 2023 due to a torn Achilles and then going just 5-12 in 2024. But it's not like the four-time MVP was terrible last season.
Rodgers threw for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions during his final year with the Jets, and while those certainly aren't prime A-Rod numbers, they certainly aren't bad.
Plus, Rodgers' supporting cast in Pittsburgh is superior to the one he had in New York, so there is definitely reason for optimism in Steel City.
Of course, the Steelers also play in a tough division that includes the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals, so they are facing an uphill battle regardless. But perhaps all of the talk of Rodgers' demise and how he is going to damage Pittsburgh has been greatly exaggerated.
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