Four reasons the Steelers should pass on Aaron Rodgers
The Pittsburgh Steelers have reportedly been in intense talks with free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Rodgers visited the Steelers’ facilities last Friday and spoke with team officials – including head coach Mike Tomlin – for nearly six hours.
However, the former Super Bowl-winning passer left Pittsburgh without a contract. As the number of viable spots for Rodgers to play as a starting quarterback dwindles for the 2025 season, the Steelers remain one of the few teams with a visible hole on their roster: linking the two names throughout the offseason.
Does it make sense for the Steelers to do a deal with Rodgers? I don’t believe so.
Here are four reasons why Pittsburgh should pass on the idea.
Age
Age is a big factor that cannot be overlooked. The Steelers have been searching for their next franchise quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired following the 2021 NFL season. That search will continue regardless of whether Rodgers signs with the Steelers.
At 41 years old, Rodgers is certainly in the twilight of his career. How much longer he will play, and how healthy he will be when he does, are big question marks.
Needless to say, everyone is counting Rodgers’ career on a year-to-year basis now. Even if he were to sign with the Steelers, no one can guarantee that he will play beyond the 2025 season, leaving the Steelers to continue their quarterback search again next offseason.
Production
To expect Rodgers to come to Pittsburgh and overcome Father Time would be a feat. A devastating injury already cost him an entire season two years ago in New York. His decline since winning back-to-back league MVPs in 2021 has also been understated. Two of Rodgers’ worst-five statistical seasons have come in the last three years.
Prior, Rodgers had been lighting up scoreboards in Green Bay as a four-time NFL Most Valuable Player. A return to form looked possible in his late 30s as Rodgers led the league in passer rating in 2020 and 2021. However, Rodgers and the Packers would have a falling out that saw the star passer get traded to the New York Jets.
2023 was a lost season for Rodgers, but the bookend years of 2022 and 2024 standout as two of his worst five in the interception category, throwing 12 and 11 picks. That’s an uncharacteristic trait for a potential future Hall of Famer and the question becomes whether or not he can be an upgrade over what the Steelers have fielded over the last few seasons.
Rodgers finished 2024 completing 63% of his passes for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. That’s better than what Mitchell Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, Justin Fields or Russell Wilson brought to the table, but far from Rodger’s hey day despite bringing several of his favorite targets to New York to help boost a team that would finish 5-12.
Cost
The elephant in the room is how much money it would cost the Steelers to sign Rodgers. Apparently, an offer was already on the table but neither side seems eager to budge on whatever that deal contains.
One theory is the wait for Rodgers is based on the Steelers compensatory picks for 2026, but Rodgers having been released by the Jets negates the impact of his signing affecting the team’s future draft haul. Another theory is that Rodgers may contemplate retirement and yet another is that Pittsburgh is playing the waiting game to see what April’s NFL Draft may yield.
Regardless, Rodgers would need to average $30-$40 million per year on whatever contract he signs. The going rate for NFL quarterbacks is much higher, and a $30 million per year average would place Rodgers near the bottom of the league’s earners other than quarterbacks on rookie contracts.
There’s no doubt that a former four-time MVP and Super Bowl winner has his agents working on a better deal after Sam Darnold, a still unproven journeyman commodity in the league, signed with the Seattle Seahawks for three years and $100 million. On the Steelers side, a long-term deal could handicap their salary in future seasons, even utilizing void years to offset the costs per season.
The ideal situation would be a one-year deal for Rodgers, which is the likely breaking point in their negotiations. Omar Khan would be wise to continue keeping cap space free by not committing to big, long-term deals with large risks. $30 million may not seem like much in a league where the cap continues to rise, but on the other side of the ball the GM has an eye on T.J. Watt‘s extension which now appears to be in the $40 million per year range: that’s $10 million more than Watt averages now and a three-year extension would equal an additional $30 million, the same amount that would be handed to Rodgers.
Financial terms aren’t the only cost associated with Rodgers, as his famous flare ups off of the field are noted to scorch the Earth wherever he roams. Tomlin is a master at handling big egos, but keeping Rodgers in check might be a whole other story.
Long-Term Viability
Few NFL quarterbacks have started a game beyond the age of 40, whereas Rodgers will turn 42 in December. Among those elder statesmen are a who’s who of league greats, including several Hall of Famers: George Blanda, Len Dawson, Brett Favre, Sonny Jurgensen, Warren Moon, and Johnny Unitas. Despite their status, those six combined for a 38-32 record in their 40s. Dawson and Unitas were backups by this time, and Favre’s best days were behind him.
Some other notables include Doug Flutie and Vinny Testaverde, but they were far from their prime. Aside from Moon and Favre, only two other to-be Hall of Famers have broken the 40+ mold: Drew Brees and Tom Brady.
After turning 40, Brees would fail to reach 4,000 yards passing in a season: something he had accomplished 12 consecutive times in New Orleans. He would battle injuries, playing in 23 of a possible 32 games. Brady is the oldest starting quarterback in NFL history, having played through age 45. His three seasons in Tampa were exceptional, winning a Super Bowl in his first season with the Bucs at 43.
Rodgers has a lot of history against his favor. He would have to play at a higher level, at an older age, and for longer than almost anyone else who’s done it before him – while remaining healthy doing so.
For the cost, uncertain production, short-term risk and lack of long-term solution, the thought of adding a former super star like Aaron Rodgers doesn’t feel like the proper fit for Pittsburgh. It would be a bandage at best in hopes of maintaining a certain floor. I have no doubts that Rodgers could do so, but the idea of having another quarterback, after-run or otherwise (such as a rookie) provide the same, might be as good of an option for the Steelers.
