It might not be the flashiest of moves, considering his age, but the Pittsburgh Steelers showing patience until 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers signed on the dotted line in early June has drawn praise from some anonymous AFC executives and coaches.
At 41 years old, there are questions about Rodgers’ ability to hold up physically, especially after having some issues during the 2024 season with the New York Jets.
But now that he’s in Pittsburgh in a much more stable environment with a well-established, respected head coach in Mike Tomlin, one Rodgers has raved about, and an offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith he has a previous relationship with — not to mention the relationship he has with QB coach Tom Arth dating back to 2006 in Green Bay — there is quite a bit to like about the pairing.
And one thing is clear coming out of mandatory minicamp: Rodgers can still throw the ball with the best of them.
“He’s still throwing the s— out of the ball, honestly,” a veteran NFL offensive coach said, according to an article via ESPN.com highlighting the best moves of the offseason in the league. “He’s the best quarterback they’ve had since (Ben Roethlisberger). We will see how the body holds up, but I think he’s going to help them immensely.”
Rodgers’ arm strength and quick release were quite evident during minicamp. That jumped out immediately, especially to media members in attendance, as Rodgers was slinging the ball around during individual drills, showing off his quick release, as well as the zip on the ball.
That arm strength was still evident late in the 2024 season with the Jets, too, so there’s no real concerns about the arm strength, quick release or the accuracy from Rodgers. That hasn’t gone anywhere.
The veteran offensive coach thinks it will help the Steelers’ offense immensely, which remains to be seen. One thing is clear, though: even at 41 years old and two years removed from an Achilles injury that sapped some of mobility, he’s a major upgrade over what the Steelers have had at quarterback in the post-Ben Roethlisberger era.
“Look, the mobility is an issue, there’s no doubt,” an AFC executive said of Rodgers. “But where he helps them is with the plus arm strength and the field vision from the pocket. They haven’t had that.
“I’m not sure that will be enough, but the offense will be at least respectable.”
The offense under Rodgers’ guidance on the field, and Smith’s ability to call a game, should be respectable. The Steelers have a quarterback who can read the field very well pre- and post-snap. He will get the Steelers into the right looks and will be able to utilize the entire field in the passing game.
One thing Rodgers will have in Pittsburgh that he didn’t have in New York is a good running game, taking some of the weight off his shoulders. Smith wants to run the football and utilize play-action, which should help limit the amount of heavy lifting that Rodgers needs to do in the passing game.
If the Steelers have a strong rushing attack, the rest of the offense will open up, and if Rodgers has everything at his disposal within the playbook, the Steelers’ offense could be quite good. That, in turn, could have the Steelers in the thick of the AFC playoff picture and eyeing their first postseason win since the 2016 season.
That would be quite the return on investment on Rodgers on a one-year deal.
