The Pittsburgh Steelers have their work cut out for them tonight against the Houston Texans. As we prepare for this AFC Wild Card showdown, one matchup already feels most daunting: shutting down the elite pass rush duo of edge defenders Will Anderson Jr. and Danille Hunter.
But the Texans' defensive line might feel the same way about Steelers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
At 42 years old, Rodgers had the fastest time to throw in the NFL during the 2025 season. Among quarterbacks who took at least 250 snaps this past season, Rodgers' 2.46 seconds per pass attempt was the quickest time to throw in the league, per SumerSports.
Now one NFL superstar is offering advice on how to stop Rodgers.
Aidan Hutchinson recently joined ESPN to discuss the Steelers-Texans Wild Card matchup. The two-time Pro Bowler outlined the blueprint for dealing with Rodgers.
"As a pass rusher, it's all about maximizing your opportunities... For those rushers, for Will [Anderson Jr.], Danille [Hunter], all the D-tackles—when those opportunities come, you've got to make the most of it."
"The ball is going to be coming out quick; quick release. It's not the funnest game for a pass rusher, but, man, you have to stay the course, locked in, and just stay on your path, and eventually you'll get home."
The Pittsburgh Steelers need to keep Aaron Rodgers upright tonight against the Houston Texans
In Week 16 against the Detroit Lions, Rodgers' quick time to release allowed Hutchinson to record just two pressures, per Pro Football Focus. However, the superstar pass rusher turned his limited opportunities into a pair of sacks. Now, Hutchinson is urging Texans' stars Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter to be patient.
Anderson and Hunter proved to be the most lethal pass rush pairing in the NFL this season—combining for 176 pressures and 27 sacks. Their collective 2025 performance aided the Texans to arguably the most threatening defense in the league.
With the Steelers' offensive tackle depth depleted and with tight end Darnell Washington out with a broken arm, Rodgers can only do so much to adjust his protection against the Texans' pass rush tonight.
So you better believe that the football is going to come out quick.
This might be best for the Texans. In Week 17 against the Cleveland Browns, Rodgers got rid of the ball in 1.2 seconds or less on nearly every pass leading up to the final drive of the game. Ditching the ball this early in the rep hardly allows time to go through progressions and find high-upside plays in the passing game. This was the case against the Browns—a game that resulted in a loss and included a dismal showing from Pittsburgh's passing offense.
There's no question that Houston's elite pass rush duo holds a key advantage in tonight's game against Pittsburgh. The Steelers probably could have done without Hutchinson's advice to the Texans.