Aaron Rodgers
Although not the most likely, Steelers fans can dream of having one future Hall-of-Famer follow another. Aaron Rodgers was shocked this past spring when Green Bay’s front office opted to use its first-round selection to take his successor rather than bolster the offense with a readily-available skill player.
Since then, the writing has been on the wall for Aaron Rodgers, and the Super Bowl XLV MVP is aware that it’s not a matter of if, but when, before rookie Jordan Love is trusted to take over Green Bay’s attack.
Rodgers is four starts away from surpassing Bart Starr for the second-most starts as the Packers’ quarterback. Despite turning 37 earlier this month, he maintains that he wants to continue his career in his 40s. He’s shown no signs of slowing down.
Rodgers leads the league in passing touchdowns (39) and has guided the Packers to a 10-3 record, good enough for the NFC’s first seed if the postseason were to start tomorrow.
Even with Rodgers’ elite play, it makes the most sense financially for Green Bay to eventually field Love and move one of its all-time greats. Rodgers could bring with him a similar veteran leadership and charisma, and Pittsburgh could provide a comparable culture and pedigree for him to slide into.
Long-time leader Ben Roethlisberger will eventually ride into the sunset. Following last year’s harbinger of quarterback play to come, these five quarterbacks would be adequate replacements behind center.