When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Aaron Rodgers, they hoped he could be just consistent enough to win games, along with the help of the defense. However, with the defense massively underperforming, it’s actually been the other way around. Rodgers has won games with his arm and has kept the Steelers in some close losses as well.
However, former Raven Chris Canty doesn’t think Rodgers has been that impressive after all.
“Rodgers hasn’t been bad, but Rodgers also hasn’t been good. And I think it’s fair to question whether the Pittsburgh Steelers made the right call in going with Aaron Rodgers,” Canty said Friday on ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike. “Would they have been in a better position if they went after Daniel Jones? Would they be in a better position if they went after Sam Darnold? I mean, the numbers say they would have been. Based on those guys’ individual productivity.”
Aside from maybe passing yards, I’m not really sure what numbers Canty is looking at. In terms of passing yards, both Daniel Jones and Sam Darnold have a strong lead on Rodgers’ total of 1,489. However, he’s better, or close to them, in most other notable metrics. His 68.3-percent completion rate is just better than Darnold’s 68.2-percent and slightly lower than Jones’ 71.2-percent.
Aaron Rodgers’ touchdown-to-interception ratio is strong, too, at 16-5. It’s right up there, and maybe a little better than Jones’ 13-3 ratio and Darnold’s 12-4. Rodgers’ passer rating of 104.4 is just a few points lower than those two as well.
But throwing all the numbers away, it’s hard to deny that Rodgers has been good. That’s primarily because of a few key traits he’s managed to keep around at this age. One of the most impressive things this season has been his mobility. He’s running smoothly, looks comfortable, and certainly is more mobile now than he has been since he tore his Achilles. He’s really starting to extend plays the last couple of weeks.
And once he extends plays, he still has the arm and anticipation to make things happen down the field. On the play below, he shows all these traits, scrambling out of the pocket and throwing a beautifully placed ball to Roman Wilson.
That’s not the first time Rodgers has made a play like that this season. However, Canty still thinks he’s checking the ball down too often.
“Aaron Rodgers is only good when he’s throwing the ball to DK Metcalf. That’s the only guy that he trusts to be able to throw the ball down the field to. Everything else is a checkdown,” Canty said.
To be fair to him, Rodgers is getting rid of the ball quickly and throwing it short often. However, that was a groove the Steelers fell into when they couldn’t block anybody to start the season. The quick game is still a significant component of the offense, but we have seen Rodgers sit in the pocket more often in recent weeks.
Jones and Darnold deserve their credit, too. They’re each having terrific seasons, and there is an argument that their youth compared to Rodgers could have made them a better addition. But that doesn’t mean Rodgers was the wrong choice, either. He’s having a great year of his own and is giving the Steelers their best quarterback play in quite some time. He was what they wanted in order to win now, and while they might not be winning, Rodgers is still delivering.
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