While the Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most accomplished NFL franchises, they’ve been lackluster in recent years. They haven’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season, a fact that frustrates many fans. The Steelers have continued to be in the playoff picture, but they’ve been unable to make any noise in the postseason. However, that could change soon. Reportedly, the Steelers will be signing Aaron Rodgers. He could help them break their postseason drought. Analyst Zach Gelb thinks this union is useless if that doesn’t happen.
“This isn’t Big Ben [Roethlisberger],” Gelb said Thursday on Infinity Sports Network. “This isn’t [Terry] Bradshaw, in terms of what the standard was for those guys.
“But Aaron Rodgers, limping into Pittsburgh, where he hasn’t been a great quarterback in three years, he needs to win a playoff game this year. If he doesn’t win a playoff game this year, I look at this as a giant waste of time.”
Signing Rodgers is a move for the Steelers to win now. They wouldn’t have waited this long for him if they didn’t think he could be a definite upgrade for them. The Steelers’ goal is to win a Super Bowl. However, that might not be realistic, even with Rodgers.
Winning a playoff game feels like a different story, though. Rodgers might not be as good as he once was, but he still looked capable last year. Look at what the Steelers have done in the postseason with lesser quarterbacks.
They didn’t get destroyed by the Buffalo Bills when Mason Rudolph was their starter. Last season’s finish was rough, but perhaps the Steelers wouldn’t have collapsed with a better player under center. Rodgers has guided teams through rough patches before. His veteran wisdom and leadership might be just as valuable as what he brings on the field.
Still, there’s no telling what will happen this season. Injuries could derail the Steelers. The possibility exists that Pittsburgh fails to win a playoff game again, but that could be a result of factors out of its control. The Steelers’ goal shouldn’t be anything less than winning at least one postseason game, though. Anything less will likely feel like a disappointment.
