The Pittsburgh Steelers are far from anyone’s idea of Super Bowl favorites, but Mike Tannenbaum is virtually guaranteeing Aaron Rodgers won’t lead the franchise there in his final NFL season.
He made the point clear with a sarcastic comment about Rodgers’ path to Super Bowl LXI this Valentine’s Day.
“The only way he’s going to LA is if he flies there,” Tannenbaum said on SportsCenter Friday. “They are the third-best team in the division. I think Cincinnati is greatly improved. You have the Baltimore Ravens.”
Pittsburgh won the division last year but benefited from quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow missing time. Combined, they sat out 13 games as Rodgers started all but one. Jackson and Burrow haven’t been beacons of health and could miss additional time in 2026, but if healthy, either could wrestle away the AFC North crown.
The Bengals focused on upgrading the defense, trading a first-round pick for DL Dexter Lawrence. The Ravens have also retooled and just plugged their biggest roster hole, center, with Ethan Pocic.
Throughout the offseason, Tannenbaum has been critical of Rodgers’ return and was against Pittsburgh welcoming him back. He doubled down on that during the segment.
“Here’s a key statistic when you look at older quarterbacks,” he said. “Last year, Aaron Rodgers averaged 5.8 air yards per attempt, which was 28th in the league. Meaning, he struggles getting the ball down the field. I don’t think that gets better…”
Pittsburgh’s struggles to merely win a playoff game are well-documented. The idea of making a postseason run to the Super Bowl is unlikely, sharing an AFC with the Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, and two main division competitors.
Tannenbaum’s likely correct that Rodgers and the Steelers won’t be playing in the Super Bowl. He’s not sticking his neck out with that prediction. His assertion that Pittsburgh is the third-best team, however, is more questionable. Similar doubts were made last year, and ahead of the 2025 draft, Tannenbaum suggested Pittsburgh should trade up from No. 21 to No. 10 to select Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders. Sanders fell to the fifth round.
Pittsburgh has shown incredible resiliency and has a better track record against the division than any other team over the past 15 years. That will keep them afloat and in the mix until the season’s end, which again could be decided when the Steelers and Ravens meet in Week 18.
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