For the second consecutive offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves waiting on quarterback Aaron Rodgers. But while the club continues to sit tight, one member of a rival coaching staff would seemingly prefer to see him retire.
Yes, Rodgers is an aging player with clear limitations. Yet, even at this current state, there seems to be little doubt about his ability to toss the pigskin around, especially in the right environment. The future Hall of Famer apparently still strikes fear into foes to an extent, according to recent intel from Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
Breer cited a defensive coordinator who faced the Steelers last season and believes Rodgers can still put zip on the ball.
"'[Rodgers'] arm strength is still like it was 10 years ago — he can still throw it,'" Breer wrote. "'His arm strength is what it always was. The difference is back in the day, you'd worry about him scrambling, getting out and creating explosive [plays]. Now he can't do that, and he doesn't want to get hit.
But he can still f---ing throw it.'"
Unnamed NFL DC seems afraid of Aaron Rodgers-Pittsburgh Steelers reunion
Of course, Rodgers "can still sling it" and "see the field better than anyone in the league," as Breer expressed. The four-time MVP remains a great passer deep into his illustrious career and has forgotten more about football than we'll ever know.
Diminished athleticism aside, teams evidently still respect Rodgers as a gunslinger and cerebral threat. He may lack the mobility to move around the pocket nowadays, though others are mindful of his ability to impact defenses in other ways. It goes to show why the Steelers are comfortable exercising patience again (and it's not like the alternative options are any better).
However, 2026 will remarkably be the veteran's 22nd season and age-43 campaign, assuming we haven't seen the last of him on the gridiron. He isn't the same physically as he was at 35, let alone 25, as the aforementioned opposing assistant also highlighted, which the numbers bear out.
Excluding when he suffered a season-ending Achilles tear just four snaps into 2023, Rodgers posted the following stats in 2025:
- Shortest average time to throw since 2007 (2.58 seconds)
- Fewest scrambles in a single season as a starter (12)
- Lowest yards per attempt in a single season as a starter (6.5)
- Career-low average depth of target (6.6 yards)
Note: Metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus ($).
Signs have continued to point toward Rodgers donning the black and gold again — eventually. Yet, he reportedly didn't meet with the Steelers despite spending multiple days in Pittsburgh, so stay tuned.
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