{"id":80283,"date":"2025-05-26T13:29:10","date_gmt":"2025-05-26T13:29:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/80283\/"},"modified":"2025-05-26T13:29:10","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T13:29:10","slug":"the-pittsburgh-steelers-should-pass-on-signing-aaron-rodgers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/80283\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pittsburgh Steelers should pass on signing Aaron Rodgers"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the Pittsburgh Steelers navigate a crucial 2025 NFL offseason, the possibility of acquiring free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers<\/a> has sparked debate. While Rodgers is arguably a future Hall of Famer, several key reasons suggest the Steelers\u2019 should pass on signing the veteran quarterback at this point and focus on the future.
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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/p>\n

Rodgers: age and performance decline<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not unheard of that an NFL player can still play ball after the age of 35, but Father Time isn\u2019t nearly as kind to those who stretch their careers past 40. Rodgers turned 41 last December.<\/p>\n

Yes, Tom Brady<\/a> was able to extend his playing time to the age of 45, but even he struggled his final season; the only losing season of his career (8-9) was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before he hung his cleats up for good.<\/p>\n

Rodgers doesn\u2019t have the career statistics of Brady, and his 2024 performance with the New York Jets was not nearly spectacular enough for the Jets to hold onto him another year.<\/p>\n

2024 stats (Jets): 3897 yards passing for 28 touchdowns, 11 interceptions; 43.9% success throwing for a first down, 6.7 yards per throw average, 229.2 passing yards per game average, 40 sacks, and a QBR of 48.0.
\nSurpassed 560 career sacks \u2013 most in NFL history (Pro Football Reference<\/a>).<\/p>\n

At this stage, Rodgers may struggle to keep up physically with the pace of today\u2019s game. He would be playing behind a young offensive line in Pittsburgh, and that could add to Rodgers\u2019 apparent frustration with the number of hurries and sacks he has taken in recent years, especially since he fully expects to be the starting QB.<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/p>\n

Steelers patience, locker room impact<\/p>\n

Although major media outlets continue to spin-up speculation that it is just a matter of time before Rodgers joins the Steelers, it is clear from inside the organization that patience has worn thin. Steelers President Art Rooney II has continued to express interest, but as late as May 22 said, \u201cA litte while longer,\u201d when asked about the quarterback he\u2019d formerly said he wouldn\u2019t wait forever for per ESPN\u2019s Jeremy Fowler.<\/a><\/p>\n

In March, Steelers veteran Cameron Heyward<\/a> expressed his frustration over the ongoing waiting game.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Heyward later clarified on Good Morning Football that his statements were misconstrued, saying, \u201cThe pitch is, if you want to be a Steeler, be a Steeler.\u2019 That\u2019s all it was. It wasn\u2019t that I don\u2019t like Aaron Rodgers, or I\u2019m against him.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, most recently, teammate Alex Highsmith<\/a> has chimed in. When asked how often he is questioned about Rodgers, Highsmith told Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo on NFL\u2019s The Insiders, <\/p>\n

\u201cI get asked a lot by my peers and some friends who are fans and stuff like that. I just feel like in the locker room, we\u2019re in there working and I think that\u2019s just really what it\u2019s about at this point\u2026\u00a0I wouldn\u2019t say it\u2019s a distraction at all, but we all know what type of quarterback he is and what he brings to the table.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet Highsmith pointed out in the same interview that there is high confidence in Mason Rudolph<\/a>, who is with the team again after spending last season with the Tennessee Titans.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know Mason [Rudolph] being there, he\u2019s done a great job. The guys are rallying around him and, like I said, he\u2019s been with us before and guys know him, Pittsburgh fans know him. The way that he helped us finish in 2023 was awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n

The team is likely a little tight-lipped because the decision to add Rodgers will be a decision that\u2019s made from the top, but it can\u2019t not be having an effect at some level to be questioned about a guy who has yet to even acknowledge whether or not he\u2019s even interested in playing football in 2025.<\/p>\n

Related content:<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/p>\n

Rodgers\u2019 commitment level and history<\/p>\n

Rodgers has a bit of a negative reputation he has created by overlooking timelines \u2013 especially when he has prioritized his interests over teams he has worked with. In 2021, Rodgers waited until the evening before Green Bay Packers training camp to even agree to return. Then, after making quite a show of his desire to reinvigorate the Jets, he had a very public moment with Robert Selah (before the latter\u2019s firing) and was non-committal about a future in New York.<\/p>\n

His timeline \u2013 at this point \u2013 resembles the ether when it comes to giving the Steelers a confirmation; there\u2019s just nothing there but a shimmer in the air.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The Steelers should just pass<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh is in a unique position to utilize a quarterback that can work in their system \u2013 Rudolph \u2013 and develop the raw talent of rookie Will Howard. They can do it with litte risk and a whole lot less drama by settling in and not giving in to whatever Rodgers has going on.<\/p>\n

The Steelers aren\u2019t going to be Super Bowl Champions just because Rodgers decides he wants to sign, either. His record with the Jets indicates that. They aren\u2019t going to automatically be horrible with Rudolph and Howard, either. A lot of the assumptions out there are just that. Settling in for a challenging season while passing on Rodgers is the right move.<\/p>\n

\"Christina<\/a><\/p>\n

By Christina “Tina” Rivers<\/p>\n

Lifetime fan, seasoned sports writer. Lover of gridiron Ninjitsu. \u201cFlyover country\u201d native who is a pragmatic, critical thinker who eats artificial turf pellets, stats sheets, and highlight reels for meals on game nights.<\/p>\n

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