Aaron Rodgers had a very poor showing on Sunday night against the Los Angeles Chargers. After a strong start to the season, is he losing steam at nearly 42 years old? Or was it a one-off bad game, as every player experiences in the NFL from time to time?
Mike Tomlin wouldn’t commit to either side of that equation Tuesday.
“I’m not gonna chalk it up to an off night,” Tomlin said via the Steelers’ YouTube. “But there are no long-term concerns.”
When pressed to give more of an evaluation, Tomlin was careful not to let the media speak for him.
“I’m not gonna allow your words to be my words. That’s all,” he said. “Sunday night was what it was. But I have no long-term reservations about his ability to play the position and play the position at a high level for us.”
Tomlin was asked Sunday night how he would evaluate Rodgers’ play in the immediate aftermath of the game. He answered the question with a question.
“How would you? Next,” he said.
It goes without saying that Rodgers’ play was below the line. But is this a repeat of 2024 with Russell Wilson having a hot streak in the middle of the season before falling off a cliff in the winter months? It doesn’t sound like Tomlin is ready to sound the alarm bells quite yet.
The same quarterback who just completed 52 percent of his passes for 161 yards, a TD, and two INTs has had a pair of four-TD games this season. The Steelers haven’t had that kind of production from the quarterback position since Ben Roethlisberger. And Rodgers’ resume buys him at least one mulligan.
There were times this season when Rodgers was the only good thing about the team, while the defense and the run game struggled to do much of anything. It’s reasonable to expect him to improve back to his earlier level of play, even if he’ll never return to his MVP form from five years ago.
Fortunately for Rodgers, the Cincinnati Bengals’ defense has become one of the most reliable remedies to a struggling offense. One week after scoring 16 points on the Baltimore Ravens, the Chicago Bears hung 47 on the Bengals, for example.
On the flipside, if Rodgers can’t get back on track against the Bengals, then it’s time to sound the alarm.
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