It’s not lost on anyone paying the least bit of attention to the top storylines across the NFL that the Pittsburgh Steelers are taking a huge risk with 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers as their starting quarterback in 2025. Green Bay Packers fans know better than anyone, having watched him fail in New York with the Jets, that things could go south in a hurry.
The Packers’ last glimpse at Rodgers in Lambeau was a soul-crushing experience. Back then, he was 39 and coming off an MVP season, and he still only managed to get the franchise to an 8-9 record. While he hasn’t been Green Bay’s problem since his last pass in a Packers uniform landed in the hands of Detroit safety Kerby Joseph, Packers fans are no doubt keeping tabs on how the future Hall of Famer’s career is winding down.
In the eyes of one former NFL scout, the Steelers are in for a rough time with Rodgers under center, which certainly doesn’t come as a surprise to Packers fans.
Steelers are betting on a version of Aaron Rodgers that might not exist
"If I was a betting man, are they more likely to have Rodgers play 17 games and win 10 or 11 or, like, by midseason, it’s like, ‘I don’t think Rodgers is gonna make it through this season,’" John Middlekauff, a former Philadelphia Eagles scout, said on The Colin Cowherd Podcast. “It feels like that (second one). If you just base it on the history of sports, older guys usually get banged up.”
Rodgers, of course, is two years removed from a torn Achilles that derailed what seemed to be a promising new venture in New York. Last season, he played in all 17 games, but his head coach and offensive coordinator didn’t finish the year, as both were fired early on in the campaign.
Still, in 2024, he turned in a statsheet that read similar to his final run in Green Bay. While he showed glimpses of the pre-2022 Rodgers towards the end of the year, it’s hard to look past him now being four years removed from his last great season, especially as his mobility has dipped with the Achilles injury.
"If this gets ugly, it could get really ugly," Middlekauf said. "How many 41-year-olds don’t get hurt in NFL history? I would say it’s a pretty small list. You know, (Tom) Brady. If you’re comparing Brady, think about some of his contemporaries. Now, they had physical ailments. Brees’ shoulder, Roethlisberger’s (elbow), Peyton Manning that last year. (John) Elway had to say, ‘We’re gonna give you a month off.’"
The Steelers, of course, can’t afford for Rodgers to be anything less than his once-elite self. The franchise hasn’t had a losing season under head coach Mike Tomlin and has invested in the team with the likes of D.K. Metcalf, Jonnu Smith, and Jalen Ramsey to get the most out of his final season.
While the Steelers did make a lot of changes this season that appear outside of their typical process, Middlekauf argues that the franchise is still spinning its tires with Rodgers.
"The Steelers, think about last year. It was like, ‘Well, we gotta try to win. Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, we’ll just do this little quarterback cocktail and see what works out,’" he said. "This year, it’s like, ‘Aaron Rodgers. 41 (years old).’ It’s like, ‘This is not gonna work out, guys.’ It’s the same thing over and over."
The Packers get their first chance against Rodgers later this season as the Steelers host Green Bay in Week 8 on Sunday Night Football.