Friday discussion: Will it work for Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers?

Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Let’s be honest dear readers.

You have had a lot of time to think about this one.

The long-anticipated decision from Aaron Rodgers has arrived, and the veteran quarterback is heading to the Pittsburgh Steelers. News broke on Thursday afternoon that Rodgers would put pen to paper on a contract with the Steelers, and travel to Pittsburgh in time for the team’s minicamp next week.

But will it work?

We have our thoughts, but we want to hear yours too.

Mookie Alexander: If the goal is to make Mike Tomlin want to finally stop coaching the Steelers after almost 20 years, then this will work perfectly. If the goal is to actually contend, then it will not work. If that Steelers defense drops off even slightly then you can pencil in Pittsburgh for their first sub-.500 finish since 2003. The best case scenario for Rodgers is he puts up numbers similar to his lone full season with the New York Jets and I still don’t think that’s enough to end the Steelers’ playoff win drought.

Mark Schofield: This is the ultimate test of Mike Tomlin.

Think of the teams that Tomlin has gotten to the playoffs, and the quarterbacks that were under center for them. Last year it was Russell Wilson, who is now in New York with the Giants. The year before that Kenny Pickett was the Steelers’ leading passer, and it was Mason Rudolph who started for them against the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card game.

If it could work anywhere for Rodgers, it is in Pittsburgh with Tomlin.

However … that is a massive if at this point in Rodgers’ career. Factor in the pairing of Rodgers and Arthur Smith, how Rodgers’ play has fallen since his MVP season in 2021, and the fact we are talking about a 41-year-old quarterback still making his way back after an Achilles’ injury, and it is really hard to see this working.

James Dator: Hell no, to the no, no, no

I absolutely understand why people are falling into the trap of assuming Aaron Rodgers is still good, because his box score from 2024 is impressive in isolation. The issue is that if you actually watched Rodgers play you know he’s pretty much washed.

At this point his arm is bad. Rodgers never had one of the biggest arms in the NFL, but it was more than enough. Last season in New York it really fell off, with him averaging a career-low 6.8 intended air yards, and 4.8 completed air yards. The offense had to be tailored to Rodgers’ lacking arm strength, and that was okay when the primary receiving options were Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams, because both are very gifted at getting YAC.

This is a totally different offensive beast in Pittsburgh. Rodgers might be the worst possible fit to pair with D.K. Metcalf, who thrives on deep passes. Metcalf’s Average Depth of Target in 2024 was 13.1 yards, and Rodgers was throwing almost half that. Someone is going to be forced to change their style of play, and it can’t be Rodgers.

Then you factor in that the person who is supposed to solve one of football’s most complicated offensive problems is Arthur Smith, and it’s a mess. The Steelers would have been better off keeping either of their QBs from 2024. Hell, they’d probably be a better team right now with Jameis Winston at the helm than Rodgers.

I do think Rodgers can still be a decent quarterback, but he’s very scheme dependent at this point in his career. The Steelers don’t have the scheme, and this is going to be a mess.

David Fucillo:

JP Acosta: If this doesn’t work out for Aaron Rodgers, I truly don’t know what will at this stage.

Rodgers wants to be the whole offense, control it at the line and change plays on a whim. Most of the time, however, those plays don’t end up working out. At 41 years old, Rodgers is more dependent on his skill position talent than ever before, needing to be put in an offense like Arthur Smith’s in order to succeed. Last season in New York, Rodgers put up pedestrian stats (and if you want to look at EPA/play and Success Rate, he was worse than Justin Fields) and was never consistent enough against the top caliber teams in the NFL. I also have my questions about the supporting cast around him. WR DK Metcalf will definitely help, as will hopefully rookie RB Kaleb Johnson. However, the offensive line still needs to be figured out, and outside of Metcalf he’s throwing to TE Pat Freiermuth and…Robert Woods?Yeah, not exactly the best talent in the world–in fact it’s just like the 2023 team.

Ultimately, for this to work Rodgers has to let himself become the Otis of this offense, and not David Ruffin. If he still thinks he’s Ruffin, he’ll end up looking more like Eddie at the end of The Five Heartbeats.

Jared Mueller: As a fan of the Cleveland Browns and Producer at Dawgs By Nature, I assume this will work for the Steelers. Why? Nothing goes the Browns way and, somehow, the Steelers had a winning record with Duck Hodges as their starting quarterback. Maybe the magic will run out in Pittsburgh, but Rodgers had some success, if you look at specific splits/usage, last year. If the Steelers defense can do what they almost always do, Rodgers can have minimal pressure on his shoulders except for a few big plays.

Whether the mercurial quarterback will accept being a 20-attempt, play-it-safe quarterback is a big question in the (likely) one-year relationship.

For now, I assume Pittsburgh’s luck/magic/Mike Tomlin-y ways continue and Cleveland continues to wonder how to get some of it in their direction.