The Pittsburgh Steelers know they aren’t getting vintage Aaron Rodgers in 2025, at least not physically. Most Steelers fans are aware of that, but one thing they can still hang their hat on is his mental ability. Throughout his career, and still today, Rodgers is one of the smartest quarterbacks in the league. However, according to former NFL running back Rashad Jennings, that might not matter.
“You talk about the ‘MVP mind’, I don’t think that’s doing any good,” Jennings said on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football on Monday. “We talk about minds. If the mind could throw a football, Tom Brady would have never retired… Heck, I might be able to throw that thing a little bit. It’s about being physical. It’s about being out there, being with your team… You gotta remember, last year, he had a worse completion percentage than Mac Jones.”
Obviously, the mind isn’t going to do everything for Rodgers. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not going to make a difference. Last year with Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, the Steelers avoided the middle of the field like the plague. It’s a spot that’s ripe for turnovers, which is a large part of the reason why Mike Tomlin’s offenses rarely target it. We’ll have to see how things play out this year, but with Rodgers, the Steelers finally have a quarterback who can read that area of the field well. It’s the first time in a long time.
Jennings is right that Aaron Rodgers still needs to do it on the field, though. He can make the right decisions, but if he’s not getting the ball out on time and accurately, it’s not going to mean anything. However, it’s not as if Rodgers is completely gone in terms of physical talent. Two years removed from a major Achilles injury, he might look even better.
Jennings cherry-picks the completion percentage stat, with Mac Jones completing 65.3 percent of his passes last year compared to Rodgers completing 63.0 percent. However, stats can be misleading. For example, Rodgers had one of his worst statistical seasons in 2024. But during the last five weeks of that season, he played some of the best football we’ve seen from him in quite a while. Rodgers threw nine touchdowns during those five games and managed over 250 passing yards in four of them. You can twist stats to say a lot of different things. but the idea that Mac Jones presents a better option at QB right now is a little silly.
The Steelers will be hoping that’s the version of Aaron Rodgers they end up getting. If he is in good shape, which many expect him to be, then the Steelers’ offense could look much scarier in 2025. If he’s not, then his mind might not be able to carry Rodgers and the Steelers this year.
