With the months-long saga surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers and Aaron Rodgers finally put to rest, fans and media alike can now focus on what the signing actually means for the team heading into the 2025 season.
The reaction has been mixed, with some suggesting it will come back to haunt the Steelers, while others believe it was the clear path to competitiveness in 2025. Personally, I fall somewhere in the middle. Rodgers is undoubtedly the best quarterback the Steelers have had since the end of Ben Roethlisberger's prime, but the bar to clear that level of play is barely off the ground.
Whether you are a fan of the move or not, only one thing will make this decision a success in the eyes of both the organization and the fans: Ending the Steelers' nearly decade-long playoff victory drought.
Aaron Rodgers must win the Pittsburgh Steelers a playoff game to be considered a good signing
Unlike many other teams around the league, the Steelers have not had much trouble making the playoffs over the last decade. Since 2015, they have made the playoffs seven times. What they have had issues doing is actually winning once they make it.
Pittsburgh has played in 10 playoff games during that same stretch, but they are just 3-7 in those games, including a brutal six-game losing streak that is still ongoing. The only reason to take a risk on a 41-year-old QB like Rodgers is to try and finally end that skid in 2025.
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The former MVP may not have any more vintage seasons left in him, but he should provide the passing game with more juice than any other option that was available this offseason. Combined with a still-elite defense and what promises to be an improved rushing attack, the Steelers may finally have enough balance to win a playoff matchup.
Any other outcome, however, would instantly be viewed as a major disappointment. Why bother signing an aging veteran with no upside if you're just going to get bounced in the first round again? It would be better at that point to trot Mason Rudolph or even rookie Will Howard out there and hope you end up with a higher draft pick.
That is what the team will be hearing from fans if they have to sit through another 9-8, 10-7 season that ultimately leads nowhere. For Rodgers' and the Steelers' sake, let's hope they can get the job done.