The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season. It’s been one failure after another for them, mainly because they always want to compete for a championship. While they hoped to change that this year, they might not even make the playoffs. The Steelers’ loss to the Cleveland Browns last week gave the Baltimore Ravens hope. Analyst Nick Wright thinks that loss killed the Steelers’ chances at being an actual postseason threat.

“The story is the entire reason you signed Aaron Rodgers was to win that game, and he was terrible…” Wright said recently on FS1’s First Things First. “The goal is to go on a real playoff run. And the chances of that ended Sunday afternoon against the Cleveland Browns because Aaron Rodgers was awful.

“I understand the Browns have some gaudy defensive numbers, and Myles Garrett’s a legendary player. The Browns have allowed 26, 31, 31, and 23 in their last four games. The Steelers scored six points… Aaron Rodgers on 4th and 1 early in the game, going for a kill shot to Scotty Miller for no reason, is asinine… It’s unacceptable.”

Wright might be correct. The Steelers might not even get a chance to play in the postseason. If they lose to the Baltimore Ravens this week, they’re out of the playoffs. That loss to the Browns could have even more severe repercussions.

Rodgers deserves some of the blame for that failure, too. Week 17 was far from his best game with the Steelers. He completed 21 of his 39 pass attempts for 168 yards, but those numbers don’t tell the whole story. Rodgers racked up 58 passing yards on the Steelers’ final drive. He was ineffective for most of the game.

Also, his decision-making was questionable. As Wright points out, Rodgers opted to throw to Miller, who only had four catches on the season before Week 17, on a crucial 4th down. That wasn’t the only questionable moment Rodgers had, either. He also targeted Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the end zone three straight times to end the game.

Rodgers will need to be better this week. Otherwise, the Steelers’ playoff dreams will likely disappear. A loss could spell the end of his career as well. Rodgers flirted with retirement after the 2024 season. Therefore, he might be even more motivated to have a solid performance. He’s one of the best quarterbacks of all time. We’ll see how much of that magic he has left in him.