Sportsnaut
The drama is over as Aaron Rodgers will sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers as mandatory minicamp begins next week. With the future Hall of Famer joining the Black and Gold, here are the six winners and losers.
Rodgers found another quarterback-needy team to lead as he prepares for his 21st NFL season with the Steelers this fall. He gets at least one final payday, though contract details remain unknown. Rodgers joins a consistent playoff-caliber team in Pittsburgh after spending two disastrous seasons with the mediocre New York Jets. He also gets one last chance at that elusive second Super Bowl championship.
Head coach Mike Tomlin could meet the same fate as Robert Saleh did last year with the Jets if the Rodgers move doesn’t pan out. Tomlin somehow believes a 41-year-old quarterback can lead the team to the playoffs after going 5-12 with New York last season and being two years removed from a ruptured Achilles. Tomlin will also have to manage all the drama Rodgers will inevitably bring to the locker room.
The Steelers have lost in the Wild Card round in four of the last five seasons and haven’t reached the AFC Championship Game since 2016. If Rodgers and the Steelers struggle early, calls for Tomlin’s job will grow louder.
Mark your calendars. The New York Jets will face Rodgers and the Steelers in Week 1 at MetLife Stadium to open their 2025 season. The Jets dealt with Rodgers’ off-field antics the past two years and can now breathe new life into the organization with head coach Aaron Glenn and former Steelers QB Justin Fields. If the Jets pull off a season-opening win, it would be a huge embarrassment for Rodgers.
Will Rodgers give offensive coordinator Arthur Smith the time of day and run the plays he calls, or will the four-time MVP go off-script? If Rodgers believes the offense isn’t performing the way he wants under Smith, it wouldn’t be surprising if he goes into business for himself as he’s done in the past.
With Rodgers joining the Steelers, his weekly appearances on “The Pat McAfee Show” will continue to be must-watch. Rodgers has caused quite a stir during his talks with McAfee, including his thoughts about COVID, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Jeffrey Epstein and Jimmy Kimmel. While Rodgers boosts McAfee’s ratings, it could have a different effect with the Steelers this fall if things aren’t going well.
Steelers fans are enduring yet another quarterback change as Rodgers will be the seventh different QB to start a game for Pittsburgh since 2021. The franchise has yet to find a consistent signal-caller since Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season. Rodgers will only be in Pittsburgh this season, so fans will have to hope he can return to his old form. If not, it’s going to be a long season for Steel Curtain fans....
