The wait is over for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers officially re-signed with Pittsburgh on Saturday, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $25 million. Steelers fans must feel relieved that Rodgers is finally back, but some national analysts are skeptical of how well the 42-year-old quarterback can still play.
ESPN's Ben Solak shared some insights on where Rodgers is at in his career during a recent article. He argued that Rodgers' lack of mobility has significantly changed his game compared to his prime seasons.
“Because Rodgers can't move well, he can't respond to pressure well. Those magical play extensions are gone. They've all been replaced by quick dump-offs or panicked heaves to one-on-one targets downfield,” Solak wrote on Saturday. “Rodgers' success rate of 19% on pressured dropbacks last year was the worst single-season mark of his career. His off-target rate when pressured — a whopping 41.9% — was the fourth-worst mark for any quarterback over the past five years. Rodgers is getting the ball out fast because he cannot stand to sit in the pocket for a millisecond longer than necessary.”
As a result, Rodgers is no longer they incredibly efficient quarterback he once was.
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ESPN's Bill Barnwell noted on Saturday that Rodgers has not had a great quarterback rating during his last four seasons. In fact, 2025 was his best season since 2022 and he only ranked 23rd among starting NFL quarterbacks.
Rodgers proved that he can still play during the 2025 season. But Pittsburgh needs to design their offense around what Rodgers can do well now, not what he used to do, if they want to succeed in 2026.
The pressure will be on Pittsburgh's new coaching staff to get the most out of Rodgers in what could be his final NFL season.
The wait is over for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers officially re-signed with Pittsburgh on Saturday, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $25 million. Steelers fans must feel relieved that Rodgers is finally back, but some national analysts are skeptical of how well the 42-year-old quarterback can still play.