Behind the Steel Curtain
What does future Hall of Fame QB Aaron Rodgers still have left in the tank? Read & React breaks down his 2024 tape.
The time has finally come, Steelers fans.
Way back when rumors first began to swirl about Aaron Rodgers potentially becoming Pittsburgh’s quarterback in 2025, Read & React promised you readers we wouldn’t dive into the constant will-he-won’t-he portion of the NFL news cycle. We swore that we would only discuss Rodgers if he actually signed, and that those conversations would mostly be limited to actual football.
Well, here we are.
Rodgers signed with the Steelers last week, and Read & React is responding the only way we know how: a comprehensive dive into the film and stats******* that matter. Let’s not waste any time; we’ve got a lot to cover.
* Unless otherwise noted, all stats for this article are pulled from NFL Next Gen Stats.
RB: Ryan and I usually divvy up the analysis in these types of articles, and while that’s the case once again here, quarterback play is a bit too holistic to cut right down the middle. As a result, we’ll be looking at a couple of questions in a conversational way to hopefully paint a full picture of what Aaron Rodgers brings to the Steelers — there might be some overlap and some disagreement, but that’s why you read this column, right?
To start off, I bet most Steelers fans have asked one or both of these questions about Rodgers at some point this spring:
Let’s start with the first. Aaron Rodgers is definitely showing some age after two decades in the NFL, but there needs to be some nuance in that statement.
For one, you’d be forgiven for thinking Rodgers’ arm is no longer great given his age — and while I won’t go as far as to say he hasn’t regressed in that area, he can still absolutely sling it. His release remains that signature lightning-quick flick of the wrist. The velocity is still well above average. And he can still toss a football deep — here against the Cardinals you can see him send a pass around 50 air yards while running and not being able to step into the throw.
Aaron Rodgers is one of the best arm talents in the history of the game, and even entering his 21st season, you can still see some of that magic. Every now and then, he’ll break out a vintage Rodgers effortless, perfectly-placed throw that reminds you why he’s been in the league for so long.
However, it’s not all good. Accuracy is where you see the most regression in Rodgers’ game, and I think he feels it too. While there are some misses all over the field in...
