After shedding 5 straight video games to shut the 2024 season and watching the offense led by quarterback Russell Wilson wrestle to do a lot of something proper, the Pittsburgh Steelers made vital modifications on the quarterback place this offseason.
Wilson and backup Justin Fields walked in free company, and in got here 41-year-old former Aaron Rodgers, a four-time NFL MVP and future first-ballot Corridor of Famer.
It took longer than many anticipated as Rodgers didn’t signal with the Steelers till June 5. However as soon as he did, issues began to take off in a constructive course for the Steelers. Nevertheless, NFL.com columnist Jeffri Chadiha believes the addition of Rodgers and betting on him to raise the Steelers in 2025 is the largest problem for the Black and Gold this season.
“There’s little question he’s the best choice this group has employed at quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired,” Chadiha writes concerning Rodgers. “It’s additionally honest to surprise if he can discover extra success in Pittsburgh than he achieved with the Jets over the previous two seasons, after he’d arrived as a extremely touted savior for that franchise.
“The AFC is crammed with Tremendous Bowl contenders, together with the reigning AFC North champion Ravens. It can take quite a bit for Rodgers to raise this workforce previous the ten wins it reached in 2024.”
A part of Chadiha’s reasoning that betting on Rodgers is the largest problem for the Steelers is due to how lengthy it took him to signal. The dearth of participation in offseason workforce constructing and studying might hinder Rodgers in the course of the season, Chadiha presumes.
The Steelers aren’t anxious about that, although. They believed all alongside that Rodgers, even at 41 years outdated, was a plug-and-play quarterback. Getting him signed earlier than obligatory minicamp and getting him on the sphere, studying the playbook and constructing chemistry together with his cross catchers was big.
Early in coaching camp, issues are going nicely, too. Rodgers is taking up a management function and has been every part the Steelers have been hoping he’d be, at the least to this point. Whereas he’s had some struggles on the sphere within the first 4 days of coaching camp, throwing a few interceptions and lacking on some throws, that can all work itself out earlier than the common season.
Rodgers nonetheless has an incredible release and the arm appears to be like good in camp, too. There’s no actual guess there from the Steelers. He has proven that through the years, and he closed the 2024 season sturdy in New York. The one actual query is his potential to remain wholesome.
If he can keep wholesome, the offensive line can take a step ahead and the protection can right a number of the points that plagued the workforce down the stretch final season, Pittsburgh ought to win 10-12 video games and have the ability to recover from the hump within the playoffs. It won’t take a lot from Rodgers, both, because the Steelers aren’t placing all of it on him.
