After he retires, Aaron Rodgers won’t have to wait long to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His spot in Canton is already secured. However, he’s still got a chance to add to his legacy with the Pittsburgh Steelers. While he’s 41 years old, he wants to prove that he can still be an effective quarterback. Rodgers didn’t have a great 2024 season, so he wants to put a nicer bow on his career before he calls it quits. Former NFL head coach Tony Dungy thinks there’s a lot riding on Rodgers playing well in Week 1.
“Aaron Rodgers is under a lot of pressure,” Dungy said Thursday on the Football Night in America podcast. “You’ve got to come through. That’s what everyone is expecting. You didn’t practice, you didn’t sign with them, and you’ve gotta lead this team. They wanna be a playoff team. They wanna win a playoff game, and it’s gonna be up to you to lead them there.”
Dungy isn’t wrong. If the Steelers lose their first game of this season, it won’t be the end of the world. However, it will be disappointing. They want to be Super Bowl contenders, and starting the year with a loss to the New York Jets wouldn’t bode well for their championship dreams.
Also, the Jets being the Steelers’ opponent adds more pressure on Rodgers’ shoulders. He spent the past two seasons with the Jets, and their breakup this offseason wasn’t pretty. Rodgers didn’t seem thrilled with how the Jets went about releasing him. While Rodgers downplayed facing his former team, it might add a little more frustration if he loses that game.
Just as well, Rodgers hasn’t played great in Week 1 during recent years. Last season, he opened the year against the San Francisco 49ers. Coming off a brutal torn Achiles in 2023, it was unclear how well Rodgers could still play. He made some good throw, but overall, he didn’t have a great day, completing 13 of his 21 passes for 167 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Now another year removed from that Achilles injury, there’s optimism that Rodgers can look more like his old self. While his days as an MVP candidate are likely over, he could still elevate the Steelers’ offense. Rodgers might need to shake some rust off to start the 2025 season, but hopefully, he can do enough to help the Steelers win.
