Throughout the offseason, many analysts have held a negative outlook regarding the Pittsburgh Steelers’ chances in 2025. Chris Broussard was one of them. However, now that their eventful offseason has come to a close, Broussard seems to have changed his mind on Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers.
“I am getting better vibes about the Steelers,” Broussard said on FS1’s First Things First on Monday. “A month ago, I was at, first losing season of Tomlin’s career… I am no longer there. I do think they’ll have a winning season… I do think they can win 11 games.”
Winning 11 games will be tough for Pittsburgh, especially considering their brutal stretch during the final part of the season. Similar to the way the 2024 season ended, Pittsburgh faces a myriad of playoff hopeful teams. Last year, that didn’t go well. But this year, the Steelers hope things will be different.
There are reasons to expect that to be the case. Defensively, Pittsburgh beefed up their defensive line, drafting run-stoppers in Derrick Harmon, Jack Sawyer and Yahya Black. The interior of the defensive line struggled the most last year, but the whole unit has more depth now. In the secondary, Pittsburgh replaced Minkah Fitzpatrick with Jalen Ramsey, which should make them much more dangerous against the pass, especially in man coverage.
Yet, it’s hard to win late in the season without consistent quarterback play. The Steelers didn’t have that in 2024, and they hope Aaron Rodgers provides an upgrade there in 2025. That’s an idea Broussard is starting to believe in.
“The thing I like about Rodgers, in that interview, and really how he’s been since he’s been in Pittsburgh, you remember the past two years with the Jets. He came in, he’s openly talking about winning the Super Bowl… He took on the weight of the franchise, probably thinking he was doing a good thing. And it just didn’t work out. Now, he’s got a whole different approach… He’s just been like, ‘Hey, I’m here to have fun, I’m here to enjoy myself,'” Broussard said.
Broussard is referencing the interview Rodgers gave with Kyle Brandt on Saturday. Then, Rodgers was asked to respond to Terry Bradshaw’s comments earlier this offseason, when he criticized the Steelers’ efforts to sign him and said Rodgers should “chew on bark.” Rodgers defended himself, but he did so in a respectful manner and didn’t disparage Bradshaw in the process.
That’s earned him credit from some Steelers fans. It also flies in the face of what many expected from Rodgers before he signed in Pittsburgh. His time in New York hurt his reputation, with some of it being his own doing. Yet, that interview does reflect the calmer, more peaceful mindset he’s had in Pittsburgh.
Now, a peaceful mindset doesn’t get you far. You’ve still got to win games late in the season, and only time will tell if Aaron Rodgers is able to do that. That said, Broussard’s change of mind comes at a time when Rodgers has arrived in Pittsburgh with less fanfare and more maturity than many expected. He’s helping maintain a good culture, which is something the Steelers didn’t seem to have as the 2024 season came to an end.
