Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has had two decades of preparation for his farewell trip around the AFC North. Between snowy games at Lambeau Field and windy wins in Chicago, the cold won’t be a culture shock to the quarterback.
But if he’s anticipating the AFC North to be the cakewalk he routinely saw with the Green Bay Packers, he’s in for a rude awakening. The Steelers have the third-highest expectations in the division, falling in line behind the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals, led by superstar quarterbacks.
Exceeding those expectations likely requires winning a playoff game, ending a streak that’s approaching a decade. But Rodgers won’t find relief in his divisional games in 2025. Even the Cleveland Browns, without any semblance of quarterbacking, took down Pittsburgh a season ago. With edge rusher Myles Garrett looming on the line of scrimmage, Rodgers will have to earn every yard.
The Steelers’ rival spoke about the Rodgers signing on Tuesday and revealed his hope to put him in his “graveyard.”
“I think it’s a good opportunity to put him in the graveyard,” he said, via Daniel Oyefusi.
Garrett might try to bury Rodgers on Sundays, but he’s referring to his Halloween decorations. In the past, he’s put up tombstones custom made for the quarterbacks he has sacked, particularly in the AFC North.
He’ll get that opportunity in Weeks 6 and 17. In 14 games against Pittsburgh, he’s logged 13 sacks, and a handful of highlights, and a fateful swing at quarterback Mason Rudolph in 2019.
Fortunately for Rudolph, he’ll get to watch these from the sideline now that Rodgers is in town. He signed a one-year deal worth $13.65 million with nearly $6 million in incentives tied to various playoff feats. It’s a similar deal to what Russell Wilson got with the New York Giants (one year, $10.5 million, up to $21 million in incentives), and the two project to perform similarly.
Of course, Rodgers has greater ambitions than beating the Browns, but he’ll have to bank as many wins as possible to compete in a loaded AFC. Avoiding Garrett’s wrath will play an important role in keeping a not-too-explosive offense on schedule in two games.