Following months of waiting for a decision and endless speculation regarding the fit and what he could offer them as the starting quarterback, Aaron Rodgers finally made a decision, signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers to be the quarterback for the 2025 season.
While it’s just a one-year deal, the Steelers and Rodgers have visions of competing this season. The belief is the Steelers finally have a high-level quarterback again, one who can read the field with the best of them, still has a great arm and a quick release, and can get the offense into the right plays within games while playing on time and in structure.
Not everyone believes the Rodgers-Steelers pairing will be fruitful. For ESPN NFL Insider Dan Graziano, he doesn’t see how the Rodgers addition makes a big difference for the franchise in 2025, especially after Rodgers struggled last season with the New York Jets, going 5-12 and leading to an unceremonious release.
In a piece for ESPN.com addressing looming questions under center for all 32 teams, Graziano had major questions for the Steelers and Rodgers.
“Honestly, I don’t see how Rodgers’ signing makes a big difference. If the Steelers really think their 2025 season just got saved by signing a QB who was 25th in QBR, 26th in completion percentage and 13th in TD/INT ratio last season, won five games and got released by the Jets, they have to step back and ask themselves what they’re doing,” Graziano writes regarding Rodgers and the Steelers, according to ESPN.com. “A 41-year-old Rodgers may not make the Steelers substantially better than they were without him, and even if he does, they’re likely to still be looking for their QB answer next offseason.”
The numbers from Rodgers’ last season weren’t all that great, especially the Jets’ record, which led to the franchise largely cleaning house across the board, from the front office to the coaching staff and the offensive side of the football.
Things weren’t good from the start for the Jets as Rodgers was still working his way back from his torn Achilles and wasn’t fully back to being able to play at the level he wanted to. But in the final five games of the season, Rodgers showed real flashes of his old self, having quite a bit of success down the stretch.
The right arm looked very strong, the release was still lightning quick, and he showed some mobility, being able to throw on the run and make plays. The Jets decided to move on, though, and the Steelers are now banking on Rodgers being a good starting quarterback in 2025, signing him to a one-year deal.
There’s a lot of belief in Rodgers from the Steelers’ perspective. Head coach Mike Tomlin is leaning hard on Rodgers’ resume. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and quarterbacks coach Tom Arth both believe Rodgers remains a high-end quarterback who can function well within the Steelers’ offense.
The offensive line should be much better in 2025, and Rodgers will have a steady rushing attack behind him with the likes of rookie Kaleb Johnson, Jaylen Warren, and Kenneth Gainwell to lean on, something he didn’t have in New York. Then, there’s also the presence of pass catchers DK Metcalf, Pat Freiermuth, Calvin Austin III, Robert Woods, and Roman Wilson for Rodgers to work with, too.
It might not be the type of weaponry he had in New York, but Rodgers is in a stable environment where he just has to play football and not worry about being a savior or doing everything for the franchise. That should bode well for him in his one season.
If it does, the Steelers should be demonstrably better offensively in 2025, giving them a real chance to compete and win in the playoffs.
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