Sportsnaut
It was an offseason of major changes for the Pittsburgh Steelers as they acquired a new quarterback, wide receiver, tight end and two cornerbacks. As they gear up for Sunday’s season opener against the New York Jets on the road, one NFL analyst is warning that the Steelers are “not a cohesive unit yet.”
After two tumultuous seasons with the Jets, Aaron Rodgers returns to the Meadowlands to face his former team as a Steeler. The 41-year-old is hoping for a much better 2025 than 2024, when he led the Jets to an abysmal 5-12 record that cost head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas their jobs during the season.
Rodgers did throw for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns last season, but attempted a whopping 584 passes since the Jets were playing from behind most of the time. It marked the third-most pass attempts in his career.
The roster overhaul didn’t stop at quarterback. Pittsburgh also brought in cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay, tight end Jonnu Smith and wide receiver DK Metcalf.
NFL analyst Moe Moton questions how well this Steelers squad will gel as the season begins.
“Now usually when you slap a team together like that in one offseason, it doesn’t work out. You have all that talent but they’re not a cohesive unit yet,” noted Moton. “Aaron Rodgers is a veteran, DK Metcalf is a veteran, Jalen Ramsay is a veteran and a Super Bowl champion.”
The Steelers brought in Rodgers after cycling through Justin Fields and Russell Wilson as their starting quarterbacks last year. Fields started the first six games when Wilson was sidelined with an injury, going 4-2. Wilson took the reins beginning Week 7 and started strong, going 6-1 in his first seven starts. However, Pittsburgh collapsed at the end of the season, losing their final five games, including their AFC Wild Card matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.
The last time head coach Mike Tomlin led the Steelers to a playoff victory was January 2017. They’ve now lost their last four Wild Card appearances.
“How does that work out in Pittsburgh with Mike Tomlin, who’s never had a losing season? Does Pittsburgh finally get that breakthrough?” Moton questions. “They’ve been one-and-done in the playoffs for the past two years. Do they get past the first round if they do make the playoffs and if they make it past the first round, how far do they go?”
This is expected to be Rodgers’ final season, meaning the Steelers will likely be back in the same position next offseason — searching for a new starting quarterback. For now, though, Tomlin and company are betting everything on Rodgers, hoping he can recapture his magic and lead Pittsburgh back to championship contention.
More must-reads:
