When the Pittsburgh Steelers claimed Adam Thielen off waivers, fans immediately pointed the finger at Mike Tomlin. The long-time head coach is infamous for going after former Pro Bowl players when they are already past their prime (think Myles Jack, Patrick Peterson, and Darius Slay).
But the Steelers' latest move may have had everything to do with Aaron Rodgers this time around.
Rodgers, who recently turned 42 years old, was beyond frustrated with the offense's performance against the Buffalo Bills in Week 13. The aging quarterback turned his 22 dropbacks into just 108 net passing yards while earning a 6.2 QBR.
After examining the all-22 film, it's clear that opposing defenses are looking to take away DK Metcalf, who is often Rodgers' number one read in the passing game. Meanwhile—either due to poor spacing, route concepts, wide receiver performances, or a combination of each—nobody else has been able to do anything with their limited opportunities.
That's where Thielen comes in... and Rodgers has his fingerprints all over this roster move.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' Adam Thielen addition feels like an Aaron Rodgers appeasing move
We're confident Mike Tomlin signed off on a move like this, and it's right up the head coach's alley to bring in aging talent. But this time around, Rodgers may have been the culprit in the team's decision to claim Thielen off waivers.
Rodgers got to know Thielen well as they spent nearly a decade together in the NFC North division (Rodgers with the Packers and Thielen with the Vikings). In Rodgers' heyday, he watched Thielen torch NFL secondaries, and his peak season performance was a 113-catch, 1,373-yard outing back in 2018.
READ MORE: Steelers fans crushed after one brutal stat exposes how bad things truly are
Last year, the Steelers made a Russell Wilson-appeasing wide receiver move by foolishly trading for a washed-up Mike Williams just before the trade deadline. Though claiming Thielen didn't cost Pittsburgh future draft capital, it feels like another decision to pacify an aging future Hall of Fame quarterback.
In his first 11 games with the Minnesota Vikings, Thielen has collected just eight receptions on 18 targets for 69 yards while managing to earn a mere 10 total yards after the catch. Vikings quarterbacks have a combined passer rating of just 55.1 when targeting Thielen this season.
At 35 years old, it's hard to be optimistic about what Adam Thielen could bring to the table for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Maybe he'll give this stagnant offense a spark. But at the end of the day, this feels like a move that was meant to appease a frustrated and struggling Aaron Rodgers.