June 11th, 2025
Four months after former New York Jets’ QB Aaron Rodgers was told he was going to be released, he has officially signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers on a one-year deal. The contract is worth $13.6 million, with $10 million guaranteed and has a max value of $19.5 million according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.
This may give some fans hope and make others’ pessimistic about the team’s current outlook. However, the latter is more likely. When he was near the end of his Green Bay Packers’ tenure, he would drive many fans crazy with his ridiculous statements. Not only that, but his play did not reflect previous years. A little bit after the 2022-23 season, he decided to join the Jets via a trade.
When he joined the Jets, it immediately became a disaster, as he tore his achilles four plays into the 2023-24 season and was not able to play the rest of that year. The following season, he played like his age and did not live up to the team’s expectations. There was also drama in the locker room due to their losing record, eventually resulting in multiple firings on the team. People could say he played a part in that drama, but many people outside the organization may never know for sure.
All of this has led up to this moment, where the Steelers are relying on him as the one missing piece to take them to the Super Bowl and win it all. Can it happen? As said previously, there are multiple factors going against him and the team, but there is one positive and it’s their defense. The unit has been one of the best year in and year out, and helps the team float around .500, even with their offense consistently being one of the worst.
If Rodgers can prove himself to the world that he still has the ability to play at an above-average level, he can take the franchise to a Super Bowl. If he does not though, and causes drama in the locker room, there could be massive repercussions. There could possibly be firings for one of the most stable franchises in sports, which might include long-time head coach, Mike Tomlin, despite being a highly regarded head coach in the NFL.
Overall, this is a go big or go home type of move, but based on recent history, it would not be shocking to see the Steelers fall apart. That would be unfortunate for not only the team, but the Steelers’ fan base.