Without the MVP Aaron Rodgers of old, the Steelers offense must ensure two things to work, according to Mina Kimes. As part of an AFC North preview on ESPN, she discussed the outlook for Pittsburgh under the future Hall of Famer. Frankly, she and Robert Mays didn’t have the most glowing things to say, but skepticism is understandable.
“I think we both agree that for an Aaron Rodgers offense to succeed in 2025, they have to run the football well, and the ball’s got to come out quick out of his hands”, Kimes said of the Steelers. “If those two things don’t happen, this is dead on arrival”.
Notably, Kimes also argued that the Steelers aren’t getting a Rodgers with the same arm talent as in the past. She wasn’t talking about arm strength, but rather the pinpoint accuracy and tight-window throws. It is reasonable to assume he can play better than last year, but the duo believes this goes back to his final year in Green Bay.
One thing Kimes agreed works in the Steelers’ favor for an Aaron Rodgers offense is the vision at tight end. The addition of Jonnu Smith fits into that vision, the quick passing game, and letting playmakers play. “It actually has an identity, and that identity makes sense to me”, she said.
She called the Steelers’ new tight end “an outlet for Rodgers, a guy who can get yards after the catch, a guy who can line up in the backfield”. Kimes continued, “When I think about this quarterback and what it takes to succeed, that, to me, also helps this make more sense”.
Aside from Jonnu Smith, Aaron Rodgers will have Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington to work with in the Steelers’ offense. Even Connor Heyward, though his role might overlap with Smith. They might not know who their WR2 is, but they might not have enough time to throw to them, anyway.
Kimes and Mays also claim that Rodgers struggled on quick passes last season, but should the Steelers worry? According to Pro Football Focus, his quick-throw numbers aren’t bad. He went 226-for-3227 for 2,022 yards with 10 touchdowns to 5 interceptions. With 15, he had more “big-time throws” than anybody in the league. He also had the fifth-lowest turnover-worthy play rate among quarterbacks with 300-plus quick-pass attempts. A quick pass is defined as within 2.5 seconds after the snap.
But even with a 10-percent drop rate from his wide receivers, Aaron Rodgers did rank 20th out of 25 qualifying quarterbacks on adjusted accuracy on quick throws. His 26 dropped passes are hard to ignore, though, the most in the NFL on quick passes. Ultimately, they gave him the fifth-highest passing grade on quick throws. Not that the Steelers will build their offense or managing Rodgers based on anything PFF or Kimes say.
Of course, the Steelers offense needs to be concerned with Aaron Rodgers’ mobility, too. He didn’t elude sacks very well with the Jets, at all, part of the reason he has so many quick pass attempts. And that’s part of the reason Kimes said they need that in order for this offense to have a chance. The necessary success of the run game…in an Arthur Smith offense, I think that goes without saying.
