Critics repeatedly made it known they felt quarterback Aaron Rodgers was a “distraction” and “self-centered” throughout his tenure with the New York Jets that ran from April 2023 through last season.
A new Jets regime parted ways with Rodgers following the 2024 campaign, and he ultimately agreed to join the Pittsburgh Steelers in June.
For a piece published on Monday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated detailed why he believes Rodgers will “fit in seamlessly with the Steelers” after the 41-year-old largely flopped with the Jets.
“He’s jumping on a moving train,” Breer wrote about Rodgers becoming Pittsburgh’s QB1. “No one else on the team is in his 40s, but the guys he’ll play with are much closer to being his peers. Five-time All-Pro (defensive tackle) Cameron Heyward is 36 and in his 15th season. (Cornerback) Jalen Ramsey turns 31 in October, has made seven Pro Bowls and is a Super Bowl champion. (Cornerback) Darius Slay is 34, a six-time Pro Bowler and just won a Super Bowl. Even 27-year-old (wide receiver) DK Metcalf is heading into Year 7. So, Rodgers is free to just come in and play quarterback.”
Back in the spring of 2023, Rodgers welcomed a trade from the Green Bay Packers to a Jets team that featured young talents such as quarterback Zach Wilson (second pick of the 2021 draft), 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson and 2022 Defensive Rookie of the Year Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner. Rodgers then suffered a torn Achilles tendon four offensive snaps into his official Jets debut in September 2023, and his relationship with Zach Wilson reportedly “soured” as the future Hall of Famer recovered from that setback. More recently, it was said that Rodgers and Garrett Wilson “never saw eye-to-eye” as the Jets notched only five wins last season.
While the Jets and Buffalo Sabres of the NHL are responsible for the longest active playoff droughts among the major North American sports leagues (14 straight seasons), Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has never had a losing campaign since he took over in 2007. Tomlin and Co. seem to believe a healthy Rodgers will be an upgrade over what Russell Wilson and Justin Fields gave Pittsburgh as starters last season.
For what it’s worth, veteran Steelers players warmly welcomed Rodgers to the club after he spent the bulk of springtime workouts as an unsigned free agent. Additionally, he’s already taken Pittsburgh rookie signal-caller Will Howard under his wing.
If Breer is right, Rodgers could prove to be one of the better one-year rentals made by an NFL team during the 2020s.
