10 years ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers signing Aaron Rodgers would’ve been a dream. Today, it’s a little more lackluster. Rodgers is coming off two of the worst years of his career. An Achilles injury knocked him out for the 2023 season, and in 2024, he didn’t look like the same player. At 41 years old, Rodgers is more likely to continue declining than he is to return to his old form. However, analyst Ryan Wilson believes there are some reasons for fans to be optimistic about Rodgers and the Steelers.
“I think if you can catch lightning in a bottle with Aaron Rodgers at 41 years old, you can get to 10, you can get to 11 wins.” Wilson said recently on CBS Sports HQ. “Don’t forget, they were 10-3 last year with Russ Wilson before the wheels fell off, and I think that Aaron Rodgers is a slight upgrade over Russ Wilson. The offensive line is gonna be a little bit better, it’ll be a little bit younger.
“The run game should be much improved. They drafted a running back, Kaleb Johnson, in the third round that’s gonna excel in this Arthur Smith system. And I think the defense is gonna be a little better. All those taken into account, if Aaron Rodgers can do Aaron Rodgers things on the field and not be a distraction off the field, you have DK Metcalf, there are slight reasons for optimism.”
Wilson makes some solid points. The Steelers’ offense has held them back in recent years, with the quarterback position being one of their biggest weaknesses. Rodgers isn’t a superstar anymore, but even this version of him could be the Steelers’ best quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger.
If that is the case, then they should be a better team this year. The Steelers have stuck around in the playoff picture despite their poor play under center. With Russell Wilson and Justin Fields last year, they were in first place of the AFC North for most of the season. It might be too tough for them to actually win the division with Rodgers, but perhaps they can finally win a playoff game.
That’s the monkey on Pittsburgh’s back at the moment. They haven’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season, with most of their postseason losses being ugly. Rodgers gives the Steelers a chance to change that.
However, like Wilson says, quarterback isn’t the only spot where the Steelers improved this offseason. Their young offensive line has an opportunity to continue developing. That unit could be much better than they were last year.
Also, the Steelers’ defense ended the 2024 season on a down note. They looked lost, with missed tackles and miscommunication hurting them. This year, they won’t want to repeat that. They upgraded at several positions, like corner and defensive line, so they have a great amount of talent. The Steelers’ defense could be one of the top units in the league this season.
Right now, it’s hard to say the Steelers are Super Bowl contenders. They probably aren’t on that level yet. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t make noise in the playoffs. While Rodgers is a controversial figure, he still looked like a fine player in 2024. If he can play at that level again this year, Pittsburgh could have a more successful season.
