Sportsnaut
A Pittsburgh Steelers great turned NFL analyst believes the Aaron Rodgers signing will fall flat.
In an appearance on ESPN’s “SportsCenter,” Ryan Clark called it “the worst-case scenario for Pittsburgh Steelers fans.”
“It continues to keep you mired in mediocrity,” said Clark. “Will this team be better? Have they gotten better in the quarterback room? Absolutely. Will they contend for that championship that Pittsburgh Steelers people, and fans and organization think is the standard? No, they won’t.”
Aaron Rodgers signing with the Steelers is the worse case scenario. I think he’ll play good enough, & the team will be just good enough to miss out on a franchise guy next year! One of the greatest players of the era, & one of its greatest head coaches… just years too late.… pic.twitter.com/Py46A0N0M2
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) June 5, 2025
Rodgers is 41 and will be entering his 21st NFL season. He’s two years removed from an Achilles tear that ended his first year with the New York Jets after just four plays, then led the team to a 5-12 record in 2024 that cost head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas their jobs.
Now, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is putting his faith in Rodgers leading the team back to championship contention. Clark, however, doesn’t see that happening.
“They’ll be fighting for a Wild Card spot,” said Clark. “They’ll probably be home week one of the playoffs and again be looking for a franchise quarterback.”
Clark added: “If you told me you were going to pair one of this era’s greatest coaches with one of this era’s greatest quarterbacks, I’d expect greatness. That is not what we’ll get. Maybe six years ago, but not now.”
Rodgers, a four-time NFL MVP and future Hall of Famer, completed 63% of his passes for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last season. However, he was sacked 40 times and posted a QBR of 48.0 — the second lowest of his career since becoming a full-time starter.
The Steelers made the playoffs last year with Justin Fields and Russell Wilson under center, but Pittsburgh made no attempt to bring them back. Fields signed with the Jets while Wilson joined the New York Giants.
It’s hard to imagine Rodgers, who will be 42 when the playoffs begin, leading the Steelers past the likes of the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs in the postseason. The best Pittsburgh can hope for is that Rodgers stays healthy and keeps them competitive. If not, Tomlin could meet the same fate as Saleh.
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