Few NFL quarterbacks have played well past the age of 40. Tom Brady is the only one to really do it at a high level, but it’s useless trying to compare him to anyone. However, Aaron Rodgers is trying to join Brady and Peyton Manning as the only quarterbacks to win Super Bowls with multiple teams. The Pittsburgh Steelers want to be championship contenders, but a lot of that is riding on Rodgers. While Rodgers isn’t the same player he once was, former NFL defensive back Logan Ryan isn’t ready to give up on him.
“Can Aaron Rodgers and [Mike] McCarthy go back to their Hail Mary days and catch that magic or are they both past their prime?” Ryan asked recently on CBS Sports HQ. “I don’t know. I think that Aaron Rodgers is one of the best quarterbacks that I ever played against.
“He’s a wizard at the line of scrimmage, but he hasn’t always been that the last few years. But I wouldn’t cast him out. I don’t think he’s gonna be completely awful…That’s gonna be a very interesting team.”
Rodgers threw for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions last year. While his passing yards and touchdowns were down from 2024, so were his interceptions. Rodgers looked slightly rejuvenated in his first year with the Steelers.
That was with little help from his pass catchers, too. DK Metcalf was really the only Steelers receiver who made a consistent impact. Now, they have Michael Pittman Jr. and Germie Bernard. Tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington should significantly contribute in the passing game as well.
Also, Rodgers is reuniting with McCarthy, who was his head coach for more than a decade with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers had a ton of success in McCarthy’s system before. While he doesn’t have the same abilities that he did back then, McCarthy’s offense might be better for him than Arthur Smith’s system was.
Does that mean that the Steelers are going to compete for a Super Bowl this season? That still seems like a long shot. However, perhaps Rodgers can help them win a playoff game. Their playoff game last year was close until the fourth quarter. If Rodgers and the offense are better, then there’s a chance the Steelers could actually win a postseason game for the first time since 2016.
