The Pittsburgh Steelers signed four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers this offseason, but they aren’t expecting an MVP-type campaign out of their starting quarterback. CBS sideline analyst Evan Washburn, who’s worked with the Ian Eagle and Charles Davis broadcast crew, said the Steelers are just hoping Rodgers can make “a couple plays” late in games to elevate their offense.
“This is a team defensively and in so many areas offensively that can make a run in that division, in the playoffs. They need someone under center who is capable. And I don’t think they need Aaron Rodgers and I don’t think they believe Aaron Rodgers has to be MVP-caliber. That would be great, but I think they view it as, we need a couple plays late in the game to win us games, and more importantly, not lose us games early,” Washburn said on CBS Sports HQ.
Washburn said the Steelers need Rodgers to make similar plays to the one Russell Wilson made with his late touchdown pass to Mike Williams in the Steelers’ Week 10 win over the Washington Commanders. Washburn said the Steelers will need more of those types of plays with Rodgers.
The Steelers probably don’t want to be in a close game every week, but that’s been their M.O. for the past few seasons. They’ve also been remarkably successful in close games, and if Rodgers can find his clutch gene and come through late, the Steelers should be in good shape.
Expecting a 41-year-old Rodgers to turn in an MVP-type season isn’t realistic, and oddsmakers seem to think this could be the worst statistical season of his career. The Steelers need him to be more than a game manager, someone who can make high-level throws when needed and run an offense that could rely more on the run with Arthur Smith as the offensive coordinator.
Rodgers showed in the second half of last season that he can still sling it, and if he can give the Steelers more consistency than Wilson was able to last year, then their offense could finally have sustained success. He doesn’t have to be one of the best quarterbacks in football, but he has the ability to help carry the Steelers to a few extra wins, and as Washburn said, that could come in the form of just a few plays to keep the Steelers in games and help them pull away from their opponent.
