At 41 years old, Aaron Rodgers isn’t what he once was at the height of his powers, which was a four-time NFL MVP and maybe the greatest thrower of the football at the quarterback position in NFL history.
But in 2025 with the Pittsburgh Steelers, there’s a lot of belief that even with diminished skills, Rodgers can be a winning quarterback. That’s what the Steelers are banking on, at least.
It remains to be seen if Rodgers can be that winning quarterback for the Steelers this season, one that takes care of the football and fits well into Arthur Smith’s scheme. So far, the returns in training camp are starting to look promising after a shaky start.
Entering the 2025 season though, Rodgers is no longer a Tier 1 quarterback in the NFL, at least based on The Athletic’s QB rankings. In fact, Rodgers fell all the way to Tier 3, and had one of the largest drops in the rankings from last season.
In the QB Tiers, Rodgers sits at No. 16 overall, sandwiched in between Arizona’s Kyler Murray and Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa.
“He can still see, and he can still fit balls in there,” a former head coach said of Rodgers in the Tier Rankings. “He can’t be dynamic like he was — scrambling, avoiding the rush and throwing it 60 yards down the field — but I still think he can play.”
That ability to read the field, have a quick release on his throws and have the juice to fit footballs into tight windows is still there. The only real concern with Rodgers is the mobility, buying time in the pocket and extending plays on the move. When he was at his best, he was a master of that.
The torn Achilles in 2023 four plays into his first season with the Jets sapped him of some of that mobility. Though he looked to be moving well late in the 2024 season and has moved about as well as a 41-year-old quarterback can move during training camp, he’s not a guy that’s going to extend a ton and create out of the pocket.
In Pittsburgh, there will be some designed rollouts and the use of play-action, which will test Rodgers’ mobility and comfort getting the ball out quickly. But to his credit he’s seemed very open and willing to collaborate with Smith as the two have a good relationship.
That could lead to success offensively for the Black and Gold. The offense just can’t be a pass-first attack, though. Rodgers can’t be the driver anymore. It has to be built around a powerful running game, which will allow Rodgers to pick apart defenses with play-action passing and quick hitters. The pieces are in place. They just have to stick to the plan.
“They all have to be going into this with eyes wide open,” an offensive coach said of Rodgers and the Steelers offense. “Aaron obviously feels comfortable with Mike (Tomlin) and Arthur. He doesn’t need to be No. 1 in the league in passing anymore.
“He needs to protect the football and throw touchdowns. He can still do that.”
Rodgers played pretty well down the stretch for the Jets late last season, showing signs of getting back to being a solid starting quarterback. He took care of the football, was able to move around some and made plays out of the pocket. The accuracy is still there, and the ability to read defenses pre- and post-snap and attack the weaknesses remains a key part of his game.
That’s what attracted the Steelers to him. Hopefully that part of his game shows up on game days and can help the Steelers get over the hump in the playoffs. That will matter more to Rodgers than where he ranks in The Athletic’s QB Tiers.
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