Until they sign a quarterback, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be connected with Aaron Rodgers. The Steelers are arguably the best team in need of a quarterback right now, and Rodgers is the available quarterback with the greatest reputation. While the Jets played poorly, Rodgers’ statistics were reasonable, which fuels the conversation.
Recently, ESPN analyst Louis Riddick argued that the Steelers and Rodgers “need each other.” As there isn’t much else for national sports shows to talk about right now in the NFL, this fed another day of the cycle. Chris Canty offered his own take on that claim by Riddick during Unsportsmanlike on Thursday.
“Mike Tomlin needs Aaron Rodgers? If you’re in a position where you need Aaron Rodgers, it’s a wrap for you,” he said of the Steelers. “I get that everybody wants to assign a certain level of success to Mike Tomlin. He’s joked about turning water into wine. But short of having Jesus Christ on that coaching staff, you’re not gonna be able to resurrect Aaron Rodgers’ career. It’s over. How much evidence do we need before everybody acknowledges this dude is washed up?”
Last season with the Jets, Rodgers went 368-for-584 for 3,897 yards with 28 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. His 63 percent completion percentage was among the lowest of his career, and his yards per attempt was just 6.7. But it’s worth noting his numbers aren’t far off from his final season with the Packers in 2022. His touchdown percentage was nearly identical, and his interception percentage was worse. The only significant difference was his accuracy, which was better in 2022. But the Steelers didn’t get much better from their quarterbacks.
Collectively, the Steelers went 321-for-499 passing in 2024. They produced just 3,264 passing yards with 21 touchdowns to six interceptions. While Rodgers had a worse interception percentage, he threw a higher percentage of touchdowns. And Rodgers suffered a significantly higher drop rate on his passes than the Steelers’ quarterbacks did. The Steelers had a slightly higher on-target percentage.
The biggest variable is how much Aaron Rodgers’ 2023 injury affected his play in 2024. He missed nearly the entire 2023 season. It’s worth noting, for example, that he threw seven of his 11 interceptions in the first seven games. He only threw four for the rest of the year. His touchdown percentage was also higher after that stretch, about 5.5 compared to 3.9. As a team, the Steelers posted a touchdown percentage of 4.2, with Russell Wilson at 4.8 percent.
But we can’t ignore the fact that the Jets went 5-12 with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback while the Steelers posted a 10-7 record. And they also went 3-7 in the 10-game period in which Rodgers posted improved statistics. But the Jets also allowed more than three more points per game than did the Steelers. With a better defense, could an Aaron Rodgers offense work in Pittsburgh?
Probably not. But it’s not like there are any obvious long-term solutions available this offseason.
