Acho Says There’s ‘Added Stress’ On Aaron Rodgers With Steelers ‘Altering The DNA’ For Him

When Aaron Rodgers was a member of the New York Jets, many things were put in place for him to succeed. Unfortunately for them, that success never came. With Rodgers now being a Pittsburgh Steeler, some fans worried a similar overhaul might occur. According to Emmanuel Acho, that’s already happening. Because of that, Acho believes there’s some added pressure on Rodgers going into 2025.

“Once again, an organization has made roster adjustments for Aaron Rodgers… The Jets completely made roster adjustments for Aaron Rodgers, got nothing in return,” Acho said on FS1’s The Facility on Tuesday. “And here again, we see the Steelers acquiring Jonnu Smith… Acquiring Jalen Ramsey, gotta get rid of Minkah Fitzpatrick. I know Minkah Fitzpatrick, three First-Team All Pros in just six years with the Steelers, but fine, Aaron Rodgers. We need Jonnu Smith, gotta move Minkah, we’ll get Ramsey… It is added pressure on Rodgers, because this team is changing the DNA of the team, just for Aaron.”

Acho makes it clear that he doesn’t necessarily blame Rodgers. He thinks Rodgers brings enough hope to the organization that the Steelers have to make these moves.

“I think Aaron Rodgers gives you so much hope that you say to yourself, let’s go for it all… I think it’s the organization saying, ‘Oh, we got a chance, let’s go for it,’” Acho said.

Whether the Jets bowing to his wishes is Rodgers’ fault or not, it’s a reputation that he now has. However, it feels a little extreme to think Rodgers is the reason for all of these moves. Yes, this offseason has been unlike any other for the Steelers. However, there are other reasons behind the moves.

For one, the Steelers weren’t trading Minkah Fitzpatrick solely to get Jonnu Smith. The most significant return in the deal is obviously Jalen Ramsey, who the Steelers believe brings more to their secondary at this point. Reporting from Jeremy Fowler suggests the Steelers had the idea of moving Fitzpatrick in their mind as far back as March, long before Rodgers was even close to signing with Pittsburgh. Smith is a player the Steelers had an interest in, and simply comes along in the same deal to get Ramsey.

That said, the Steelers surely do at least have Rodgers in mind when making their offseason moves. Smith brings another element to the Steelers’ offense. His ability with the ball in his hands makes him valuable after the catch. He’ll see plenty of opportunities in the short passing game. That may cater to Rodgers, who will be 42 this season and is playing behind an offensive line with a few questions of its own.

It’s also important to note that Rodgers is coming to Pittsburgh in a different way than he did in New York. He seems much more at peace with the Steelers, with much less pressure than during his two years as a Jet.

There’s always some pressure that comes with quarterbacking a franchise that’s familiar with success. However, Aaron Rodgers isn’t bringing any of his old friends along and isn’t making any demands either. Just because he’s on the roster when the Steelers decide to shake up their defense doesn’t exactly mean the team is changing its DNA for him, especially when both sides seem to view this experiment as a one-year rental.