When Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin switched quarterbacks from Justin Fields to Russell Wilson in Week 7, the hope was that Wilson would kick-start the offense. And for a little while, he did. But that all fell apart during the Steelers’ four-game losing streak. Confidence in Wilson as a longer-term answer has eroded.
Look no further than the two-minute drill at the end of last Saturday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Steelers brought Wilson in because he’s a veteran quarterback who has won. He’s in Pittsburgh for moments exactly like that. But you wouldn’t know it based on how he handled that situation.
So could the Steelers turn to the quarterback who was across the field from them in Week 7? New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers could very well be on his way out of the Big Apple this offseason. Could the Steelers pursue the veteran quarterback if he becomes available?
“If I were the Pittsburgh Steelers, knowing that I’ve got Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt, I got guys on defense with their expiration dates not long in the future,” Peter King said Tuesday on Let’s Go on Mad Dog Sports Radio. “I would want to come in and try to get a quarterback who could make me competitive with Baltimore and Cincinnati in 2025. And that guy, to me, would be Aaron Rodgers.”
At one point, that would have been a no-brainer. Aaron Rodgers is a four-time Most Valuable Player and four-time first-team All-Pro. He’s been to 10 Pro Bowls. And he’s won the Super Bowl (and was MVP of that game as well, as the Steelers painfully remember).
But Rodgers just turned 41 years old in December. And it’s not like he’s coming off a stellar season with the Jets. The Jets limped their way to a 5-12 record in 2024. And Rodgers threw 28 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. That tied for the third-most interceptions in a season for his entire career.
Yes, that’s after Rodgers suffered an Achilles injury in Week 1 of 2023. But that should be all the more reason to avoid Rodgers at this point in his career. Why would he serve as an upgrade over Wilson?
Because people need to remember that if a team signs Aaron Rodgers, it’s not just getting him. It is signing off on bringing in coaches and players he wants and with whom he is familiar.
And do we really think Mike Tomlin wants that kind of headache? If Mike DeCourcy of the Sporting News is right, Tomlin doesn’t want anyone on his coaching staff above him. But bringing in Aaron Rodgers could certainly lead to decisions being made outside of Tomlin’s preferences.
Perhaps the Steelers would have been interested in bringing Aaron Rodgers in to replace Ben Roethlisberger after he retired. But it’s extremely hard to see the aging Rodgers as a solution for anything in Pittsburgh next season.
