The Pittsburgh Steelers’ biggest storyline last offseason was whether or not they’d sign Aaron Rodgers. Eventually, he joined them, but it took many months of waiting. That frustrated Steelers fans, and unfortunately, they might be feeling déjà vu this offseason. The Steelers are once again waiting for Rodgers. While Omar Khan said he expected a decision sooner than last year, there’s still no end in sight. Because of that, analyst Nate Tice isn’t buying in on the Steelers’ offseason moves.
“I’m selling, and it’s just the Aaron Rodgers thing,” Tice said Tuesday on his Football 301 podcast. “This is what we’re doing? I can’t believe this is just okay, that everyone’s okay with this… They go with [Mike] McCarthy, which felt like such a, I don’t wanna say a white flag, but just like a we’re-not-trying hire… Then, immediately, everyone’s fine with Aaron Rodgers coming back…
“Aaron Rodgers was bad last year, and I feel like I’m going crazy that everybody’s going, ‘Oh yeah, it’s gonna be fine. He’s gonna come back. That’s great, he knows Mike McCarthy’s offense.’ He gets a lot of say in the offenses he had in New York and then in Pittsburgh last year… This is a guy that was a bottom-six quarterback last year.”
Plenty of people are just as frustrated as Tice that the Steelers are pursuing Rodgers again. That includes many Steelers fans. Playing the will-they, won’t-they game as the offseason continues rolling along can be annoying.
However, the Steelers didn’t have many better options this offseason. The free-agent quarterback market wasn’t great. Malik Willis was the cream of the crop, but he got a massive deal considering his inexperience. There’s more long-term risk with than with re-signing Rodgers.
Consider what the Steelers’ goal is: a Super Bowl. That’s why they hired McCarthy. While Mike Tomlin stepping down felt like a chance for the Steelers to reset, they chose not to. If they did, they would’ve fired Tomlin. Instead, he was the one who ended their relationship.
Of the available quarterbacks, Rodgers fits that goal best. Does that mean he’ll make the Steelers a Super Bowl contender? No, but he might give them their highest ceiling this year, especially when compared to other free agent quarterbacks like Kirk Cousins or Kyler Murray.
No, Rodgers wasn’t great last year. However, he wasn’t as bad as Tice is suggesting. The four-time MVP has some issues, like limited mobility and struggling against pressure. He wasn’t the Steelers’ biggest offensive problem, though.
Rodgers’ supporting cast wasn’t great last year, but the Steelers worked to fix that. They’ve added skill players Michael Pittman Jr. and Rico Dowdle. Also, the draft hasn’t happened yet. Pittsburgh will improve its offense there, too.
It’s fair to criticize the Steelers’ quarterback plan. It leaves a lot to be desired. However, they can only play with the cards they’re dealt. This year’s draft class lacks strong quarterbacks, so it’s unlikely that the Steelers will find a long-term solution. If they feel like Rodgers is their best option to avoid disaster this season, then so be it. Maybe he’ll prove them right if he returns.
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