NFL insider lays out why the Steelers are in for a 'rough one' after signing Aaron Rodgers to be the starting quarterback
Everyone seems to have an opinion on Aaron Rodgers. That includes fans, NFL personnel, and even insiders. The latter of whom, Dan Graziano of ESPN, isn't exactly head over heels for Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers… Steelers in for a "rough one"? “He didn’t make the [New York Jets] instant contenders, not to bring up […]
Everyone seems to have an opinion on Aaron Rodgers.
That includes fans, NFL personnel, and even insiders.
The latter of whom, Dan Graziano of ESPN, isn't exactly head over heels for Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers…
Steelers in for a "rough one"?
“He didn’t make the [New York Jets] instant contenders, not to bring up a sore subject. He’s 41, gonna be 42 by the end of the year. And this is not a team that was like plug-in a quarterback and now you have a contender,”Graziano said. "They have question marks on the offensive line. They have one receiver who’s averaged 73 catches a year in his NFL career. They have, what, a defense that’s average age is like 28, 29? Probably one of the older defenses in the league. And by the way, they’re having the exact same problem right now with T.J. Watt that the Bengals are having with Trey Hendrickson and nobody’s getting on their case about it. I think Pittsburgh could be in for a rough one.”
I could go piece by piece and offer a retort to Graziano's point's individually, but instead, let's just look at the total picture. Do you think that a team, who started three different quarterbacks in 2023 ands fired their offensive coordinator midseason, is going to be a better than the 2025 team?
Do you think a team that brought in Arthur Smith at OC and then made him work with two quarterbacks that are polar opposite of his scheme, and yet still finished 10-7 despite going at each other's necks by the end of last season is going to be better than the 2025 team?
Because those really feel like two easy "No's" to me. The team isn't perfect. I don't even believe they are bona fide Super Bowl contenders. But if they made the playoffs in back-to-back years with the offenisve situation they had, I don't expect anything less from a team who has improved vastly at quarterback, has a play caller going into his second year and one of the league's best WRs in his prime.
