It’s another year for the Pittsburgh Steelers and another veteran quarterback under center. Last year, it was Russell Wilson; this year, it is Aaron Rodgers. Despite coming off a down year with the New York Jets, there is some optimism that Rodgers could help the Steelers win a playoff game.
On SPEAK earlier this week, former NFL DT Gerald McCoy was asked how far he thinks Rodgers can lead the Steelers. He answered the question by posing a question.
“How far back on the bus is Aaron Rodgers willing to sit?” asked McCoy. “You’re not the lead guy anymore. We have a formula here. The problem with the Pittsburgh Steelers is they’ve gotten into the playoffs and they don’t have a guy that can make the throws. All they need him to do is make those particular throws that they need a quarterback to make, that these guys haven’t been able to make. So, if Aaron Rodgers is willing to take a backseat and just play his role, they can go as far as the AFC Championship.”
Rodgers is a cerebral quarterback whose mind is still as sharp as a tack. Even with his physical capabilities declining, it is nowhere near equivalent to QB Ben Roethlisberger’s physical decline in his last two seasons. Rodgers can still make almost any throw, something Roethlisberger couldn’t do returning from elbow surgery.
In addition, Rodgers was also returning from Achilles surgery last season and played better in the back half of the season than in the beginning. He likely was still not 100 percent early in the season, and his numbers show improvement down the stretch. In his first 10 games, Rodgers had an average yards per throw of 6.65 and threw 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions. In his last seven games, Rodgers had an average yards per attempt of 6.6 and threw 13 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Although the numbers are similar and not great, they do show that he started to get more comfortable with his Achilles as the season went on, and he became a more effective quarterback because of it. However, the numbers still show that Rodgers can’t be the lead guy anymore.
He can make throws and help a team out when needed, but he isn’t going to have an MVP season and carry a team to the playoffs. As McCoy said, Rodgers can’t be the bus driver; he has to sit in the back as a passenger and be ready for when the Steelers need him to make big-time throws. Rodgers is still capable of making big-time throws on occasion. The real question is whether he is willing to sit in the back of the bus.
Even if Aaron Rodgers is in better shape after another year removed from his Achilles injury, he is still declining physically. But, he should be the best quarterback the Steelers have had since Roethlisberger. That, combined with a defense that looks very strong on paper, is the reason McCoy believes the Steelers can make a run in the playoffs.
“Because they have the defense, well, he gotta get T.J. [Watt] back in the building. But they have the defense, they have a formula that’s been working,” said McCoy. “But, what they’ve run into is they haven’t had a quarterback that can make those particular throws only when we need you to.”
McCoy, like others, blames Pittsburgh’s playoff failures on poor quarterback play when they get to the dance. But that isn’t really the case. While the Steelers haven’t had the advantage at quarterback going into a playoff game since at least 2020, it’s hard to blame their losses on the quarterback position, especially considering their playoff losing streak goes back to the 2016 AFC Championship Game. Since then, they’ve lost to names like Blake Bortles and Baker Mayfield.
The Steelers’ defense has allowed at least 28 points a game since the 2016 AFC Championship Game. That isn’t good enough to win a playoff game. But, McCoy is also right that the quarterback play hasn’t been good enough either. Since the 2021 playoffs (Roethlisberger’s last season), Pittsburgh’s offense has failed to score more than 17 points in a playoff game. That has to improve, and the hope is that Rodgers can be the catalyst for that improvement.
Winning in the playoffs requires a full team effort. It is how the Steelers made the Super Bowl three times from 2005 to 2010. If Aaron Rodgers plays well and makes big throws, but the defense continues its trend of not showing up, Pittsburgh won’t make the AFC Championship. If Rodgers stinks but the defense doesn’t play well, the same result. However, if the two come together, then Pittsburgh can finally win a playoff game and hopefully return to the Super Bowl.
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