In his prime, Aaron Rodgers was one of the best quarterbacks ever. It didn’t seem like there was a throw on the field that he couldn’t make. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been that same player over the last few years. That’s led to some pessimism from fans when the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Rodgers this offseason. There are some who think that the Steelers targeted Rodgers strictly because of his name value. However, analyst Pete Prisco disagrees with that take.
“He’s not the same as he was,” Prisco said recently on CBS Sports HQ. “Nobody’s gonna sit here and say, ‘You can be the same guy you were in your prime.’ But you go back to the end of last year, when he started looking healthy again, he had a very productive end of the year for the Jets. Threw a lot of touchdown passes.
“He threw more touchdown passes than Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, C.J. Stroud, a bunch of guys last year, and it was an off year for him. I think getting to Pittsburgh and being healthy, he’ll definitely be more game than name. It’s just not gonna be the same game, but it’s gonna be more game than you would expect from a guy his age. Rodgers is still a productive, good passing quarterback in this league.”
When Rodgers was traded to the New York Jets in 2023, people expected him to make them a Super Bowl contender. In reality, they fell well short of that goal. Rodgers’ first season with the Jets ended almost before it began due to a torn Achilles tendon.
Then, to start 2024, he didn’t look like himself. Over the Jets’ first seven games, Rodgers threw seven interceptions. Protecting the ball used to be one of his best skills, but he was struggling in his return to football.
However, once he knocked the rust off, Rodgers started to turn back the clock. For the remainder of the season, he only threw four interceptions and recorded 18 passing touchdowns.
Therefore, Prisco could be correct in saying that Rodgers can still be a quality quarterback for the Steelers. He looked the part throughout training camp. Much like the 2024 season, Rodgers got off to a slow start, but by the time camp ended, he looked much better.
Is Rodgers going to play like an MVP? Probably not, but the Steelers shouldn’t ask him to do that. He’s 41 years old. There aren’t many quarterbacks in NFL history who have continued to be successful at that age. The Steelers should try to take as much pressure off Rodgers’ shoulders as possible.
If he stays healthy, Rodgers should have a chance to put together a decent season. The Steelers have playmakers on offense. Their young offensive line just needs to keep Rodgers clean. The four-time MVP still has a lot of arm strength, and he could help the Steelers finally get a playoff win.
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