Aaron Rodgers is one of the most decorated quarterbacks in NFL history. With the Green Bay Packers, he was named league MVP four times, and also won a Super Bowl, being named MVP of that game as well. However, since leaving the Packers, his career hasn’t been as great. His time with the New York Jets was ugly, but that could mostly be blamed on injuries. Now, with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he has a chance to prove that he’s still a great player. However, CBS Sports analyst Mike Renner isn’t sure what at level Rodgers can still play.
“In last year’s offense, with Nathaniel Hackett, without a running game, I thought, for what he was given, he was awesome,” Renner said Monday on his Pushing the Pile podcast. “But he’s also, at 41 years old, going to a completely new offense with Arthur Smith. There are so many unknowns. His body could completely degrade at this point in his career.
“You’re more susceptible to injury at that point. Injuries don’t recover the same way, even minor injuries. It’s just hard to understate how awful that situation was last year, how unbelievably bad that offense was schemed compared to the rest of the NFL, and just how bad his receivers were. He had the highest drop rate from his wide receivers, 9.6 percent, of any quarterback since 2019.”
Considering that he was coming off an Achilles tear, Rodgers wasn’t as bad as he could’ve been last year. At 40 years old, he threw for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Compared to what he used to be, that isn’t great. However, given the circumstances he was operating under, it’s a fine season.
Rodgers’ first few games last year were rough, but the Jets’ struggles weren’t all his fault. Take their game against the Steelers for example. It was an ugly game for New York, losing 37-15. Rodgers’ stat line wasn’t pretty, either. He had 276 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
However, the second interception he threw really wasn’t his fault. He threw a good to Garrett Wilson, but it bounced right off of his chest, landing in Beanie Bishop Jr.’s arms. That play helped the Steelers start to pull away from the Jets.
That’s not to absolve Rodgers of all responsibility for his team’s issues. He didn’t help when things were going poorly. However, in a more stable situation with the Steelers, he might be better positioned to succeed.
Smith’s run-heavy offense should better support Rodgers, not forcing him to carry Pittsburgh’s team on his back. With his age and injury history, it would be wise to take some of the pressure off his shoulders. That seemed to be an issue with the Jets.
While the Steelers don’t have the best group of playmakers on offense, they still have talented players. It’s unclear at what level Rodgers can still play, but if he’s got anything left in the tank, the Steelers should be able to draw it out.
Watch all your favorite Amazon Prime Video Sports broadcasts live and free. Get access to NFL, NBA, NASCAR, WNBA, and more – all included with your Prime membership!