Before Aaron Rodgers signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger predicted an 11-6 record with him and a 7-10 record without him. After watching him work at Thursday’s joint practice last week, he already feels like he undershot the win total.
“Watching Aaron [Rodgers] work, he threw one pass and as he started to walk over, I was like ‘Man, tell you what one thing doesn’t stop working, that’s that arm.’ His arm looks good,” Roethlisberger said via his Footbahlin podcast. “At some point before the season starts, I’m gonna go back through my notebook, and I might have to readjust my pick for the season in wins and losses.”
In other words, he is hinting at expectations north of his previous 11-win prediction. Achieving 12 or more wins is no small feat. It’s something Ben Roethlisberger only accomplished six times in his 18 years with the team. The winner of the AFC North has taken the division crown with 12 or fewer wins in 12 of the last 15 seasons.
He didn’t outright say it, but Roethlisberger is implying that the Steelers have every chance of competing for the division title in arguably the best division in the NFL.
It’s hard to remember, given how last season ended, but there was a point when the Steelers had a realistic chance at not only winning the division but also making a run at the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs. If they look that much better than last year, as Roethlisberger observed, they should absolutely be in that conversation.
The media has talked a lot about Rodgers’ age and the history of quarterbacks at 41 and older. Roethlisberger even lived it to a lesser degree as his traits started diminishing in his late 30s. But something about watching Rodgers practice got him fired up for his former team’s chances in 2025.
“He really, really enjoys it here,” Roethlisberger said of Rodgers. “He is excited to be here, and he is 100 percent dialed. He’s dialed in.”
Here is Roethlisberger chatting with Rodgers at Acrisure Stadium last Thursday, via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor on X.
Mike Tomlin put lofty expectations on the defense recently by saying they are capable of “historic” things. He hasn’t offered that type of praise for the offense yet, but Roethlisberger seems just as fired up for the other side of the ball.
If Roethlisberger’s instincts are correct, the Steelers could be on the cusp of one of their most competitive seasons in years, with Rodgers’ arm and leadership potentially making the difference.
