The Pittsburgh Steelers added a future Hall of Famer at quarterback this offseason in Aaron Rodgers. It was a surprising move, with the Steelers unable to retain Justin Fields and not interested in re-signing Russell Wilson. They pivoted to Rodgers, who’s coming off some of the worst years of his career. Rodgers’ stint with the New York Jets was ugly, and that’s led some people to wonder if he can still play at a high level. However, Mike Tomlin doesn’t share that sentiment, as evidenced when he was asked if the team feels different with Rodgers on it this year.
“You’re damn right it does,” Tomlin said Wednesday on The Pat McAfee Show. “Feels pretty good, too. Just the possibilities. To have a guy like that, in your huddle, in your locker room, a part of your group, it certainly gives us all great confidence.”
While Rodgers is 41 years old, it makes sense that Tomlin feels like he’s different. Quarterback has been a major issue for the Steelers over the past few years. Ben Roethlisberger gave Pittsburgh almost 20 years of high-level play, but he retired after the 2021 season. Since then, the Steelers have struggled to find consistent play under center.
They drafted Kenny Pickett to be Roethlisberger’s successor, but that didn’t pan out. After two underwhelming seasons, Pickett was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. Then, they signed Wilson and traded for Fields. While both of them played decent at times last season, they still struggled mightily in some areas.
That’s led the Steelers to Rodgers. He’s got the potential to be their best quarterback since Roethlisberger. While he isn’t as good as he once was, he didn’t look totally washed-up last year. Specifically, Rodgers played much better down the stretch in 2024.
He was likely still trying to bounce back from tearing his Achilles in 2023. That’s one of the worst injuries a player can suffer. Perhaps Rodgers will continue to look better this season, another year removed from his Achilles tear.
Tomlin sounds confident that can happen. Even if he doesn’t return to his prime form, Rodgers’ veteran presence should be a boost for the Steelers. He’s seen almost everything a quarterback can in the NFL. Tomlin is excited, and we’ll see if Rodgers proves him right this year.
