Reports indicate that free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers will join the Pittsburgh Steelers at some point before organized team activities begin on May 27 and the end of Pittsburgh’s three-day mandatory minicamp on June 12.
For a piece published Thursday, ESPN NFL analyst Bill Barnwell explained why Rodgers may not be a savior for the 2025 Steelers.
“This isn’t a perfect fit,” Barnwell said of a Steelers-Rodgers marriage. “Coordinator Arthur Smith’s offenses have been at their best when they’ve had both a play-action element and a viable threat in the quarterback run game, and that’s not what Rodgers was during his time with the Jets.”
Steelers insider Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette mentioned that a conversation between Rodgers and Smith occurred when the former visited the club in March, “went very well.” Rodgers turns 42 years old in December, so logic suggests Smith won’t expect the future Hall of Famer to make many plays with his legs this coming fall.
Additionally, CBS Sports NFL reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala is among those who think Rodgers may look more like himself with the Steelers after having an extra offseason to recover from the torn Achilles he suffered in September 2023. While with the New York Jets last season, Rodgers was slowed by injuries to both his knees, a low ankle sprain, a serious hamstring issue and a nagging hip problem.
“The 41-year-old can still throw the back-shoulders and slants to new leading wideout DK Metcalf that the Steelers will want,” Barnwell continued, “and Rodgers’ ability to protect the football by avoiding interceptions plays into [head coach Mike Tomlin’s] philosophy for winning games.”
Rodgers finished the 2024 season with 11 interceptions but tossed only four picks over the campaign’s final 10 weeks.
Regardless of what people within the Steelers may say, it seems unlikely that Tomlin would feel excited about heading into Week 1 of the upcoming campaign with longtime backup Mason Rudolph serving as Pittsburgh’s QB1. Tomlin believes Smith’s offense will be better with Rodgers than with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields in the lineup last season.
That said, one would think everybody involved would benefit from Rodgers practicing as part of Smith’s system sooner rather than later.
