The Pittsburgh Steelers enter Week 1 with Aaron Rodgers calling them a Super Bowl contender and NFL.com placing their near-43-year-old quarterback No. 29 among the league’s 32 starters. That contrast is rough, but it also genuinely frames Pittsburgh’s season. The roster may be ready to contend. Now the quarterback has to prove he is.
Rodgers has legitimate reasons for optimism. Pittsburgh added Jaquan Brisker and Jamel Dean to an already talented defense, strengthened the receiving corps, and continued building around a young offensive line. Still Curtain’s look at the offensive line’s Week 1 test showed both the talent and the lingering preseason concerns up front.
Outside Pittsburgh, the expectations are far lower. Hours after Rodgers explained his Super Bowl belief, NFL.com’s Week 1 quarterback ranking placed him behind Kirk Cousins and Jacoby Brissett. Only Malik Willis, Tua Tagovailoa, and Deshaun Watson ranked lower.
Aaron Rodgers remains the defining variable in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season
“Yeah, of course. That's why I came back because I believe in the guys,” when asked whether the Steelers were Super Bowl contenders.
The guys need him, too.
The ranking isn’t proof that Rodgers is washed. NFL.com describes its quarterback list as fluid, and one writer’s preseason judgment won’t decide anything. Rodgers also completed 65.7 percent of his passes with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2025.
Those aren’t bottom-four numbers, but they aren't championship numbers, either.
Pittsburgh won the AFC North, but with a limited offense and Rodgers producing the worst postseason performance of his career. His reunion with Mike McCarthy should improve the familiarity and structure around him, although a new-look receiving group lost valuable time together during training camp and the preseason.
Are the #Steelers Super Bowl contenders this season?
— Mad Dog Sports Radio (@MadDogRadio) September 8, 2026
"Yeah, of course. That's why I came back." @AaronRodgers12 tells @AdamSchein why he believes Pittsburgh can make a run to the Super Bowl. pic.twitter.com/FfaXT4XiZf
The Steelers can protect Rodgers with a balanced offense and a defense built around Cameron Heyward, T.J. Watt, and a stronger run-stopping front. But when Pittsburgh faces obvious passing situations late in the season, Rodgers’ timing, arm strength, and third-down execution will have to hold up.
Rodgers doesn’t need another MVP season -- those days are gone. He just needs to play closer to the league’s middle than the bottom. If he does, his Super Bowl confidence will look justified. If not, Pittsburgh will have built another competitive team around the same unresolved quarterback problem that's loomed since Ben Roethlisberger's final seasons.
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