Many Pittsburgh Steelers fans were frustrated last year when they had to wait for Aaron Rodgers to decide whether or not he wanted to play for the team. Unfortunately, this offseason feels like Groundhog Day, with the Steelers once again waiting on Rodgers. It’s frustrating, but at this point in the offseason, the team doesn’t have many other options. There’s some hope that the Steelers could make some noise in the postseason if Rodgers returns, but former NFL defensive lineman Booger McFarland doubts that will happen.
“Aaron Rodgers is a 40-plus-year-old quarterback that doesn’t want to get hit,” McFarland said Wednesday on ESPN’s NFL Live. “If he comes back, he will have his moments, but at the end of the day, he’s not getting any younger… The Pittsburgh Steelers will be better off by moving on and starting this process over.
“They want to hang on to a guy that clearly, for whatever reason, doesn’t want to commit to playing. At the very minimum, he doesn’t want to commit to the offseason. They want to continue to wait on him; they’re going to get what they deserve, which is an 8-9, 9-8 type roster.”
Yes, Rodgers had issues when faced with pressure last year. He’s not as mobile as he once was, and his body’s got a lot of miles on it. That was one of his biggest problems last year.
However, Rodgers still wasn’t terrible. He was the Steelers’ best quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger. That’s not a high bar to clear, but it mattered. Rodgers helped the Steelers win the AFC North for the first time since 2020.
They’ve only improved the rest of their team this offseason, too. Michael Pittman Jr. and Germie Bernard improve their wide receiver corps. First-round pick Max Iheanachor could start at either tackle spot. Rico Dowdle should bring some juice to their running back corps, too.
Also, Rodgers should be more comfortable after spending a year with the Steelers. While they’ve got a new offensive system, it’s one the four-time MVP is familiar with. Rodgers played for Mike McCarthy for over a decade. It shouldn’t be too difficult for him to step back into that offense.
It’s easy to say that the Steelers should move on from Rodgers, but what other options do they have? They want to compete for a championship, and none of their other quarterbacks are going to get them to that level this season.
No, the Steelers aren’t going to be Super Bowl favorites with Rodgers. However, they could repeat what they did last year, and maybe with a better ending. He might help them finally win a playoff game, and anything could happen after that.