After a long wait this offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers finally signed Aaron Rodgers to a one-year, $13.65 million contract. The future Hall of Famer gave the team a big break on the deal, signing for less than his market value. But was adding Rodgers a wise move for the Steelers?
NFL insider Mike Florio questioned Pittsburgh’s decision. “The acquisition of Aaron Rodgers smacks of desperation. Desperation, mainly, to win a playoff game for the first time since the 2016 season,” Florio wrote. The ProFootballTalk creator added that the team should replace Renegade with Desperado as its in-stadium song.
Can Aaron Rodgers return to form with the Steelers?
While the Steelers’ decision to sign Rodgers was unorthodox for the franchise, head coach Mike Tomlin appears confident it can work out. Still, waiting for a high-profile free agent to agree to join the team is out of character for Pittsburgh.
Although Florio believes the Steelers’ move smacks of desperation, others think Rodgers will improve the team, possibly even making the Steelers a Super Bowl contender in 2025. Yes, the four-time MVP didn’t look like himself during two lost seasons with the New York Jets. However, he did come close to a 4,000-yard, 30-touchdown passing season in 2024. And this season he’ll be two years removed from the Achilles tear that wiped out his Jets debut in 2023.
Pressure has been mounting on Tomlin as the Steelers have not won a playoff game since 2016. While the team has avoided a losing campaign under the head coach and reached the playoffs in four of the last five years, the lack of postseason success has loomed large of late.
Quarterback play has undoubtedly played a role in the Steelers’ playoff winless streak. The team has moved on from Justin Fields and Russell Wilson who combined to go 10-7 in 2024, which was good for a Wild Card spot and one-and-done postseason appearance. The previous year Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph also secured a Wild Card berth and first-round loss in the playoffs.
Getting a better performance under center could allow the team to finally break through in the postseason. And that’s clearly why Tomlin pushed for the Steelers to sign Rodgers.
Was it a desperate move? Possibly. Pittsburgh painted itself into a corner by avoiding other starting quarterbacks during free agency and eschewing passers in the 2025 NFL draft until ultimately selecting Will Howard out of Ohio State in the sixth round.
Now the Steelers will move forward with Rodgers, one of the most polarizing athletes in professional sports. Watching the 41-year-old All-Pro attempting to coexist with the headstrong coach will be one of the more compelling subplots of the 2025 season.
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