As has been true during Aaron Rodgers’ career, there are high expectations for whichever team he’s suiting up for. This year it’s the Pittsburgh Steelers, and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky thinks it’s reasonable to expect Rodgers to have the best season any Steelers QB has had in several years now.
“What version of Aaron Rodgers do I expect? I think it’s fair to say Aaron Rodgers should eclipse 30 touchdowns and 4,000 yards this year,” Orlovsky said Monday on ESPN’s First Take. “Anybody who said he was awful last year just wasn’t really watching. They were maybe looking at stat lines.”
The last time Aaron Rodgers reached those numbers came in 2021 when he won his fourth NFL MVP award after throwing for 4,115 yards and 37 touchdowns. He threw for 3,695 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2022 during his final year with the Packers. His 2023 season ended as soon as it began, and in 2024 Rodgers threw for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns.
It’s understandable why some wouldn’t expect him to reach that threshold. He’s turning 42 in December and hasn’t reached either of those numbers in three years now. However, context does provide more hope. Especially since Rodgers tossed 18 touchdowns during the final 10 games in 2024, the same time he started to look more comfortable after rupturing his Achilles in September 2023. During that span, he threw for more than 200 yards six times.
If Aaron Rodgers can reach both those goals, Steelers fans will be very happy. It’s been a long time since a quarterback wearing Black and Gold threw for 4,000 yards. Ben Roethlisberger was the last to do it in the 2018 season when he threw for over 5,000 yards. He is also the last Steelers quarterback to throw for more than 30 touchdowns in a season, tossing 33 in 2020.
Rodgers is certainly capable of having such a season, but he’ll need help from those around him. The offensive line has to hold up, but there’s plenty of potential on that unit, and it had a solid showing in the Steelers’ preseason opener against the Jaguars on Saturday. With DK Metcalf, some young receivers and a talented, versatile tight end room, Rodgers may have the pass catchers needed to hit those numbers.
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