Steelers Now
While many thinks Aaron Rodgers’ tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers will be a colossal failure, most notably Mike Tannenbaum and Skip Bayless, Super Bowl champion quarterback Joe Theismann believes the four-time NFL MVP will flourish in the Steel City due to one key reason — all he has to do is focus on playing quarterback. That wasn’t the case in Green Bay and New York.
“Remember the offenses Aaron has been in up until this year he basically controlled,” Theismann told Fox News Digital as he prepared for the American Century Championship golf tournament next month.. “He was familiar with the systems, he had his coordinators, his input into the people he wanted. Now, this is why I think he is going to be successful, now he just gets to play quarterback.
“He doesn’t have to be assistant general manager. He doesn’t have to worry about personnel. The only thing he needs to worry about is being able to run this offense, nothing else. So, from my perspective, I think it takes a burden off him to be honest with you. And instead of trying to make a team better, just be part of a team and do your part to make it better.
“You’re a part of the football team, you know, the way you earn respect is you go out and do your job, and you study hard, and you work hard,” Theismann added. “And, of course, Aaron is saying all the right things right now, and I believe he is going to do the right things.”
At the age of 41, Rodgers is the oldest player in the NFL, but that doesn’t mean he can no longer sling it. He still has a rocket arm.
“He’s still throwing the s*** out of the ball, honestly,” a veteran NFL offensive coach said, via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. “He’s the best quarterback they’ve had since (Ben Roethlisberger). We will see how the body holds up, but I think he’s going to help them immensely.”
An unnamed AFC executive also praised Rodgers’ arm strength
“Look, the mobility is an issue, there’s no doubt,” the exec said. “But where he helps them is with the plus arm strength and the field vision from the pocket. They haven’t had that. I’m not sure that will be enough, but the offense will be at least respectable.”
Rodgers showed he can still play good football last year with the New York Jets, throwing for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He was at his best late in the year, too, which is an encouraging sign for the Steelers. Of Rodgers’ 30 fastest top-speed plays last season, 17 came in Week 13 or later, per NFL Next Gen Stats.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated said the Steelers came away pleasantly surprised after doing a thorough study on Rodgers from last season.
“Their study of Rodgers showed a little more than even they expected. Early in the 2024 season, the Achilles, and a hamstring injury...
