Now that Aaron Rodgers is in the fold for the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of the 2026 season, the general belief is the Black and Gold will once again be in playoff contention, this time under first-year head coach Mike McCarthy.
The addition of Rodgers to a veteran roster won’t push the Steelers into true Super Bowl contender status, but he will at least keep them in the mix playing meaningful football late into the season.
Former NFL offensive lineman and ESPN analyst Damien Woody doesn’t believe that will be the case though. Appearing on Get Up Monday morning, Woody laid out his concerns with the Steelers now that Rodgers is in the mix, and sees them having a season worse than the 8.5 over/under win projection.
“Yeah, I’ll take the under. Last time we saw the Pittsburgh Steelers Aaron Rogers was basically running for his life against the Houston Texans and just looking like a shell of himself, not pushing the ball down the field, looking like a guy who didn’t want to get hit,” Woody said, according to video via ESPN. “And also remember that Steelers defense is one of, if not the oldest, defenses in the National Football League, so they’ll be a year older as well.
“So I know this Pittsburgh Steelers organization always talk about competing. They don’t do rebuilds, but man, when you look at the parts of this team, it’s just hard for me to believe that this team will be competitive with the likes of Baltimore and maybe Cincinnati in that division.”
As Woody pointed out, the last time the Steelers were in action with Rodgers under center, they were blown out by the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card round. That 30-6 loss ended the Mike Tomlin era in ugly fashion, and Rodgers was bad in that game.
His final pass of the season ended up being a pick-six to Houston safety Calen Bullock, putting an ugly capper on a whooping on the North Shore.
Now, with Mike McCarthy in the mix, the expectation is things will improve — at least offensively. But Rodgers is another year older and still could play like a quarterback who doesn’t want to get hit, leading to quick throws and a limited passing attack.
The offensive line is improved, and veteran playmakers were added in the likes of receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and running back Rico Dowdle. The defense was shored up, too, with additions of Jamel Dean and Jaquan Brisker in free agency.
On paper, the Steelers appear better. But Woody isn’t buying it, especially in a tough AFC North.
Could it lead to a losing season to open the McCarthy era? Time will tell. Woody appears completely out on the Steelers though, especially after the return of Rodgers.
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