Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers
There’s been a mixed reaction to the Pittsburgh Steelers reuniting QB Aaron Rodgers with his former head coach Mike McCarthy for Rodgers’ final season in the NFL.
But a former opponent of Rodgers and McCarthy is a believer in the duo. Appearing on Wake Up Barstool earlier this week, former NFL head coach Jon Gruden said he’s eager to see what Rodgers and McCarthy can do this season.
“I think they’re gonna mix it up. I think they’re gonna try to be a balanced team, but you’re gonna see a ton of Aaron Rodgers. I think he’s gonna play really good for [Mike] McCarthy.”
Gruden also offered praise for Michael Pittman Jr., rookie Germie Bernard and RB Rico Dowdle when talking about the Steelers. The familiarity that Rodgers has with McCarthy’s offense should make the transition easier, and it’s a big reason why Rodgers chose to return for another season.
The Steelers did a good job supplementing the offense around Rodgers, bringing in Pittman to be the true WR2 that they’ve lacked for the last few seasons. Dowdle is a good runner who should pair with Jaylen Warren, while Bernard could push Roman Wilson at WR3 and potentially have a bigger role in the offense.
Rodgers was keen on Bernard for not repeating mistakes in a media session earlier this week while mentioning that Wilson made a repeat mistake (though he was otherwise quite positive on Wilson).
Regardless, the key takeaway is that Gruden believes the Steelers offense will work, and if Rodgers can play better than he did last season, it’s fair to consider the Steelers a potential threat in the AFC. While they didn’t look up to snuff with the AFC’s top teams last season, especially in their playoff loss to the Houston Texans, an improved and motivated Rodgers in his final season could make the offense a talented unit.
It’s no secret the Steelers have had their troubles offensively for the past several years, and there are pieces in place for that to change this year. Really, the onus is going to be on Rodgers to utilize his weapons and work the ball to DK Metcalf, who should see softer coverage with more in place offensively.
If Rodgers thrives in McCarthy’s scheme, as he’s done before, the Steelers should find themselves back in the playoffs and potentially making noise.