Tom Brady solidified his legacy as arguably the greatest NFL player of all time after he joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 and helped them win a Super Bowl. He proved that he could win without Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. During Brady’s time there, the Buccaneers loaded up on veteran players, such as Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Brown, and Leonard Fournette. Former NFL quarterback Cam Newton thinks that the 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers are operating in a similar manner.
“I think that’s what it’s giving,” Newton said recently on his 4th and 1 podcast. “The energy of, ‘We’ve got to win right now. The time is now. We have to, we’re betting it all.’ The reality of it is, this has been noted to be Aaron Rodgers’ last year. Who’s to say this ain’t Mike Tomlin’s last year, too? He’s a walking 10-win coach.”
The Steelers have been loading to be competitive this year. They signed 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers, whom they hope will be their Brady. However, he isn’t the only older player they’ve added. The Steelers also acquired Darius Slay, Jalen Ramsey, and Robert Woods, who are all over 30.
Similarly, Brady’s Bucs had an experienced and respected head coach in Bruce Arians. One year after the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl, Arians stepped down as their head coach, taking a slight step back from football.
Perhaps if the Steelers win a championship this year, Tomlin will do something similar. However, it’s important to note that he’s only 53, while Arians was nearly 70 when he left coaching. Tomlin also hasn’t given any indication that he’s ready to walk away from the NFL.
Also, there are some major differences between the championship Bucs and the current Steelers. For starters, Rodgers isn’t Brady. While he looked fine last year, Brady was still playing at an elite level with the Buccaneers. It’s unlikely that Rodgers will reach those heights.
The Buccaneers’ roster was also more talented than the Steelers’. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin were one of the best receiver duos in the league. Their offensive line was more solidified, headlined by proven starters in Ryan Jensen, Ali Marpet, and Donovan Smith.
Therefore, the Steelers might not see the same success that the Buccaneers did, despite having a similar urgency. It’s difficult for quarterbacks over the age of 40 to continue playing at a high level. Brady was an outlier. If Rodgers somehow has a career renaissance, then the Steelers could be more serious Super Bowl contenders. However, that’s far from guaranteed.
