By now, everyone has heard the news. The Aaron Rodgers waiting game is officially over. On Thursday, it was announced that Rodgers is signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers. As expected, the reaction from Steelers Nation has been all over the place. Some fans are excited, others are skeptical, and a few have completely lost it.
We are talking jersey burnings, vows to never watch another game, and perhaps most outrageously, people claiming Rodgers is not even an upgrade over Mason Rudolph.
Look, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and free to react however they want. But let’s get one thing straight. Mason Rudolph is not better than Aaron Rodgers, and here is why.
Love him or hate him, Rodgers gives the Pittsburgh Steelers the best chance to win right now
Everyone can agree that Aaron Rodgers is not the same player he once was. At 41 years old, the tank isn’t full anymore, and Father Time has started to take over when it comes to his physical limitations. His time with the New York Jets has been a disaster. He tore his Achilles tendon just minutes into the 2023 season and missed the rest of the year.
When he came back this past season, the Jets finished 5-12. But let’s be clear — we are still talking about a first-ballot Hall of Famer and one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Recovering from an Achilles injury takes time, and toward the end of the 2024 season, Rodgers looked like he was regaining form. Maybe, just maybe, he can carry some of that momentum into Pittsburgh.
People are entitled to disagree with Rodgers’ political views or how he carries himself off the field, but none of that matters when it comes to football. That stuff should not factor into evaluating whether he is better than Mason Rudolph — because he is.
Rudolph has had an up-and-down time in Pittsburgh. Fans have gone from wanting him gone to embracing him after a late-season win streak in 2023, but let’s not let recency bias cloud reality. In 2019, he was benched for Duck Hodges. Last season, he started five games for the Titans and did not play particularly well in any of them.
The Steelers were at a crossroads — they could stick with what they had and finally end up having a bad season they had always tried to avoid, or make one last push with their veteran core of Heyward, Watt, and Fitzpatrick. Signing Rodgers was that push. This team was likely an 8-9 win squad with Rudolph. With Rodgers, they have a shot at the playoffs.
The Steelers were never going to waste a season — they do not rebuild, they reload. This move is better than last year’s Russell Wilson signing, and even if the ceiling is just a wildcard win, Rodgers still gives them the best chance to make something happen. He is here, he brings more to the table than Rudolph ever could, and it is time for some fans to get over themselves and just accept it.