Jim Nantz could be calling many of the Steelers’ games this year with Aaron Rodgers—including, he expects, games flexed into prime times. That’s because he has bought into what they’re doing—mostly because he believes in Rodgers. Or at the very least, he Nantz doesn’t believe he is only the player he showed with the Jets.
“The Aaron Rodgers signing, I think it’s gonna work out”, Nantz said of the Steelers on CBS. “I know I’m going against the popular viewpoint of what happened with the Jets. It was better than what people gave him credit for—by a lot. I mean, he threw 26 touchdowns and only 8 interceptions, and what did he do at the end of the year?”.
Needless to say, Nantz is far from the first to offer an opinion on Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers. Even before the Jets released Rodgers, we have had to deal with that speculation. But now we’re hastening toward the regular season, the real deal, where speculation ceases to matter—if it ever did.
For those who are unaware, Aaron Rodgers is a four-time NFL MVP, and a Super Bowl MVP with a win over the Steelers. He is hoping this time to lead Pittsburgh to the winning end of a Lombardi ceremony. That’s the last time, back in 2010, either of them has made it that far, however, so skepticism is understandable.
Granted, Jim Nantz didn’t say Rodgers will lead the Steelers to a Super Bowl. He just said that he thinks they will do well, and they very well could. “I think getting around Mike Tomlin, having DK Metcalf, just the culture in Pittsburgh”, he said, will make a difference.
Indeed, he seemed reasonably confident he could be calling their late-season games thanks to flex scheduling. “There’s a chance at the end of the year—if they’re good, because we can always switch out of it—the way the schedule was handed out to us, we could have the Steelers come late November six out of seven weeks” with Rodgers, he said.
Over the final eight games, they have five 1 PM kickoffs, and one primetime game. During that stretch, Rodgers and the Steelers will play the Ravens, Bengals, Bears, and Lions at 1 PM. Their only primetime game is actually against the Dolphins, which may have a better chance of being flexed out.
Generally speaking, you want to be flexed into primetime games, because that means you’re good and/or you have something to play for. When the NFL made the schedule this year, it hedged between success and mediocrity for Pittsburgh. It even hedged on whether the Steelers would have Aaron Rodgers. But they have him now, and we’ll soon find out what that looks like—and if it’s any good.
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