Rodgers Returns

By: Josh Frey-Sam

The worst-kept secret in the National Football League is out.

Aaron Rodgers informed the Pittsburgh Steelers early on Thursday that he intends to sign with the team for the 2025 season. About 12 hours later, he inked a one-year deal in Steel City.

Because this was a foregone conclusion, the news didn’t exactly shake the room like it normally would have. But it is nice that we can begin to look toward this season with Rodgers’ name in pen on the Steelers’ roster.

At the time of writing, we’re not sure what the financials of this look like just yet. If I had to guess, I’d say around $25M guaranteed with potential to make more through incentives.

So, how should Steelers fans feel about this?

For starters, this confirms that the team is all in this season. That’s a good thing, with its best player, TJ Watt, possibly in his final year with the club.

At the same time, I’d understand if fans were underwhelmed by this move. The Steelers have kicked the can down the road with mediocre quarterback play since Ben Roethlisberger left, and bringing in a 41-year-old doesn’t exactly scream “new era.”

Make no mistake, though: a 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers will be the best quarterback to don the Black and Gold since Big Ben.

I understand that there’s a sour taste in everyone’s mouth about a guy who went 5-12 with the New York Jets a year ago, but I’m confident we’ll see a better player this season, now two years removed from an Achilles injury.

If I’m a Steelers fan, I’m at least encouraged that my team is not settling with Mason Rudolph as the signal-caller while TJ Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Patrick Queen, Alex Highsmith, Cam Heyward, Nick Herbig and Darius Slay fight their asses off on defence.

Situation

I like the fit here for Rodgers. He will work with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who likes to work from under center and marry the run with the play-action game.

The offensive line should be about average, which is a bit concerning for an older QB with limited mobility, and weapons-wise, there’s a lot to be desired.

The Steelers dealt George Pickens earlier this offseason, but still have DK Metcalf and Pat Freiermuth as the top pass-catchers, and Kaleb Johnson and Jaylen Warren as their running backs.

The second receiver on the depth chart is 33-year-old Robert Woods.

Whether it’s enough for Rodgers to work with remains to be seen.

What does this mean for the AFC North?

I think the Steelers are no longer in the conversation for the worst team in their division. However, I can’t say I see them winning the AFC North. The Baltimore Ravens are still the clear front-runners in that race.

Pittsburgh can absolutely beat out the Cincinnati Bengals, who continue to have question marks on defence. To me, the best case is 10 wins and a wild-card berth, which is something I think Steelers fans would happily take.

Fantasy implications

The biggest winner this offseason continues to be DK Metcalf.

He was going to be hyper-targeted already this season, and now he has a much better quarterback throwing him the ball. We’ve all seen how Rodgers treats a guy he trusts, especially if he is far and away the best option available.

DK’s stock should rise, but he’s a guy I could still be targeting once draft season rolls around.

Pat Friermuth is a winner here, as well. An argument can be made that Friermuth is the best tight end Rodgers has had since Jermichael Finley, so he could be an under-the-radar draft pick.

I would think Jaylen Warren is a winner here. Rodgers will have a say on who gets onto the field, and Warren is a proven pass-blocker and a capable pass-catcher. It wouldn’t shock me if Warren got some good play early on before Kaleb Johnson finally takes over late in the season.

I think there’s going to be a lot of people who still overlook the Steelers this season, but this defence, paired with a proven quarterback, will compete.

Do I think Rodgers pushes Pittsburgh into the upper-echelon of the AFC? Not a chance.

But this is a wild-card-calibre team that could be dangerous should they make it to the playoffs.

Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Josh