Quarterback is the most important position in sports, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have experienced why that’s the case the hard way over the past four seasons. After Week 1, however, it appears the franchise finally has an answer at the position, albeit somewhat temporarily.
But before we fast forward to the inevitable end of the Aaron Rodgers era in Pittsburgh, isn’t it best to enjoy the elite production he’s providing in the current day? He threw for four touchdowns, the first time he’s done so since his most recent MVP season, while being the first Steelers quarterback to do so since Ben Roethlisberger. Despite questionable protection, he was efficient, and above all, everything Steelers fans hoped he’d be in his debut.
That’s more than his predecessors in the Steel City can say. While Justin Fields certainly played above expectations, he and Russell Wilson share one thing that Rodgers isn’t facing: they’re 0-1.
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In Fansided’s weekly quarterback power rankings, Rodgers outclassed both former Steelers quarterbacks, ranking No. 16. Fields landed at No. 22, while Wilson was ranked as the worst starting quarterback in the NFL.
Understandably, based on his ranking, Wilson is staring at the possibility that he could be the first Week 1 starter in the league to be replaced, and it could come sooner than even he may have expected. Giants head coach Brian Daboll took a couple of days before confirming that Wilson would be the team’s starter in Week 2, indicating that rookie Jaxson Dart could be taking over as the starter sooner rather than later if Wilson doesn’t change course quickly.
Wilson completed just 17 of 37 passes in Week 1 and had a redzone fumble that was eerily similar to his mishap in Baltimore last year, only this time he managed to recover his mistake. Still, the Giants failed to impress against the Washington Commanders, and this week they’ll face the Dallas Cowboys. If Wilson and the G-Men make the Dallas defense look like they don’t miss Micah Parsons, Wilson’s leash may finally run out of any slack it has left.
As for Fields, he dropped 32 points on the highest-paid defense in the NFL. His ranking at No. 22 is more indicative of where he started than where he’s going. Fields still has a lot to prove after his three-touchdown performance against his former team.
For the Jets’ new quarterback, he’ll need to continue to stack performances to preserve his momentum. It’s one thing to take advantage of a team you are personally familiar with. Can he replicate his Week 1 success against the Buffalo Bills? Well, if the Jets can find the same rushing success as Baltimore did, which is likely the plan, they could surprise another AFC playoff team with another close game.
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Of course, Rodgers is the league-leader in touchdown passes after the opening weekend, but he still lands at just No. 16 on the power rankings. To be fair, there is still doubt about a 41-year-old quarterback holding consistency in such performances, especially with the pressure allowed by his young offensive line.
Rodgers was incredibly efficient, yes, but he also ate four sacks, one of which was particularly violent. How many hits like that can his weathered body handle? The jury is still out, but it’s not something Pittsburgh should be interested in experimenting with too much longer. Rodgers needs better protection, or he won’t be included on these power rankings for much longer, instead taking space on the injured list.
Still, it’s not lost on Steelers fans that so far, they’ve won the quarterback carousel they created with this trio of quarterbacks. Rodgers bailed out the team in a manner that neither Wilson nor Fields could last year, nor that they could achieve with their current teams. So far, so good for Pittsburgh.