Art Rooney II made it clear this offseason that the Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t going to rebuild while he’s the owner. He doesn’t see the point in wasting a year not trying to win a championship. Whether that’s right or wrong is up for debate.
However, that’s how the Steelers are operating, and all their moves this offseason have been in pursuit of making them a championship contender. Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter still doubts they’ll make any real noise, though.
“I don’t care what Aaron Rodgers drinks or smokes, ain’t nothing taking him 10 years back,” Carter said recently on his Fully Loaded podcast. “Now, the receiving corps is a little bit stronger.
“They made the trade for the young player from the Colts [Michael Pittman Jr.] bring him over, have him opposite DK Metcalf. I do believe they are more dangerous, and I do believe Aaron will go out with better numbers, but the reality is that’s an old football team, and they didn’t get any younger.”
Rodgers, at 42 years old, is the oldest player in the NFL. Few quarterbacks have succeeded at that age, with Tom Brady being the only one to really accomplish anything in the postseason.
Carter isn’t the only one who’s pessimistic about what Rodgers can really do this year. However, he wasn’t terrible last year. Rodgers threw for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, and he helped the Steelers win their division. If he bumps those numbers up, then it’s reasonable to believe that they could take the AFC North crown again.
Still, Rodgers isn’t the Steelers’ only aging star. Cam Heyward is 37, and T.J. Watt and Jalen Ramsey will turn 32 during this season. Will their bodies have held up by the time the playoffs roll around? Everybody in the NFL is usually beat up by that time, but it tends to be tougher for older players to continue battling through injuries.
Perhaps the new coaching staff will help inject some energy into the Steelers’ veteran roster. The defense struggled last year, but a new scheme could get the best out of the talent that group has. Just as well, Mike McCarthy could get the best out of Rodgers at this point in his career.
If players like Rodgers, Heyward, and Watt continue to play at a solid level, then the Steelers should be in the mix for playoff spot again. However, there’s a lot of risk associated with such an old roster. If some of the Steelers’ top players regress in 2026, then they could struggle more than they did in 2025.
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