Reports have emerged linking Aaron Rodgers to the Pittsburgh Steelers, with the possibility of a deal by Tuesday. That date has passed, but Mike Tomlin’s team remains a frontrunner for the 41-year-old QB.
On ESPN’s Get Up show Wednesday morning, ex-NFL player Ryan Clark urged the franchise to practice caution. His caveat took the form of a hilarious comparison to a notorious Disney villain.
From Dart Thrower to Diva: Aaron Rodgers’ Steep Decline
With age, Rodgers has become one of most the polarizing passers of his generation. According to those who know him closely, he has grown moodier over the years, harder to handle behind the scenes. More recently, Rodgers drama frequently seems to take place out in the open.
During the pandemic he made headlines for his anti-vaxxer stance and misleading the Green Bay Packers about whether he had actually received a Covid-19 shot (he hadn’t).
He featured in a Netflix documentary about the use of the psychedelic drug ayahuasca among celebrities. Rodgers made numerous references to his participation in “ayahuasca retreats” in Costa Rica, claiming the experience transformed his mind and drastically enhanced his on-field performance.
When Green Bay drafted Jordan Love with the 26th pick in April 2020, Rodgers was openly offended by what he saw as a pursuit of his successor. At that point, 15 seasons into his career, he was arguably still in his prime. He followed Love’s draft year with two of his best seasons, combining for 85 touchdowns and just 9 interceptions in 2020 and 2021.
After leaving the Packers on the heels of a down year in 2022, he signed a three-year, $112.5M contract with the New York Jets that was hailed as the salvation of the franchise, immediately transforming the roster into a Super Bowl contender. Four snaps into 2023, he tore his Achilles.
Finally healthy, his first and only full season as a Jet was a disappointment, as the team finished 5-12 behind serviceable but unextraordinary numbers from Rodgers. His 48.0 QBR ranked 25th in the NFL.
New York fired coach Robert Saleh five games into the season and, something of a shock to Rodgers, informed him of his own release during a meeting in which he anticipated establishing his return. Rumor has it that he held a frosty relationship with Jets owner Woody Johnson. Rodgers brought the franchise no deliverance, only more dysfunction.
Pittsburgh Steelers Should Take A-Rod’s New York Jets Downfall as Cautionary Tale
Despite his unflattering 2024 campaign, Rodgers has been one of the most talked about QBs on the market this offseason, due in part to his status as a future Hall of Famer and in part to the lack of coveted free agents or projected draftees at the position.
At this point, Matthew Stafford (staying a Ram), Sam Darnold (signed by the Seahawks) and even Justin Fields (Jets) are off the table. Rodgers is one of the better options left. Pittsburgh and the New York Giants are the two teams most likely to land him.
As long, that is, as he decides not to retire. Rodgers is nothing if not opaque.
With Fields out the door and Russell Wilson still unsigned, the Steelers currently have no one behind center. According to Ryan Clark, however, they should think twice before inking a deal with Rodgers:
Mike Tomlin can work with anybody… but let’s say you put Scar on the team. You know, Scar from the Mufasa movie and The Lion King… Do you know what Scar’s name was before Scar? It was Taka. Do you know what Taka meant? Garbage. Wasted. That’s exactly what could happen if you bring Aaron Rodgers in there. You could have a wasted season. You could have a garbage season.
Since 2004, the Steelers have finished every season .500 or better. This is not a franchise used to being out of it. At the same time, fans have grown weary under Tomlin’s tenure. Despite eight playoff appearances in 11 years, Pittsburgh has yet to win a postseason game since 2016. Being “good enough” hasn’t gotten them anywhere.
Restless or not, most Steelers fans, it seems, do not want Rodgers in Pittsburgh. They don’t want his drama. They don’t want his statuesque immobility or his faltering arm.
If the team is going to sign an old quarterback, it might as well be Wilson, who took over for Fields early on and led Pittsburgh to the playoffs. In 11 games he threw for 16 touchdowns, 5 picks and posted a 51.3 QBR. While neither is something special, at this stage of their careers, Wilson is just better–without A-Rod’s extra baggage.
Just ask Jets fans. Even if it extends Pittsburgh’s postseason losing streak to nine, a ho-hum Wild Card berth is better than languishing in the Elephant Graveyard.
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