Each NFL season is different and brings countless questions along with it. The offseason features more of the same, although the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ last handful of weeks have all seen folks ask the same thing.
What will be the outcome of the Aaron Rodgers era?
Rodgers, a future Hall of Fame player, is in rare territory. That isn’t necessarily a good thing, however, and it leads to plenty of doubt surrounding whether he can still get the job done at an elite level. One current analyst and former NFL executive isn’t buying the hype. In fact, he’s doubling down on fading all high-end Rodgers results.
Former Executive Makes Case Against Aaron Rodgers Leading Steelers to Playoffs
Just a few weeks after making a tongue-in-cheek prediction that Rodgers won’t finish the season as the Steelers’ starting quarterback, Mike Tannenbaum is back for more. On an episode of ESPN’s “First Take” program, the former football operations executive didn’t hold back.
Tannenbaum’s stance is simple: Rodgers doesn’t have history on his side.
“I have sat there, and it’s intoxicating,” Tannenbaum said. “‘We can get Aaron Rodgers! Four-time MVP, Super Bowl champ, all-time great.’ And yes, could he catch lightning in a bottle? Absolutely, with a Hall of Fame coach, but it’s overwhelmingly against that happening. He hasn’t played well in three years and in the history of our sport, two quarterbacks at 42 have played in a playoff game. One was Tom Brady – he doesn’t count – and Drew Brees had one game when he was 42. Could it happen, guys? Absolutely. But the overwhelming data and history of our sport says it’s over.”
The two examples Tannenbaum laid out aren’t exactly inspiring. As he hinted at, Brady mostly stands alone. Not only did he deliver some epic playoff performances after turning 42, but he won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during that span. Brady, the consensus best quarterback ever, played through his age-45 season and shouldn’t be anyone else’s standard for longevity.
Brees is the more interesting case. His final season, 2020-21, saw him put up very respectable numbers with the New Orleans Saints. Twenty-four touchdowns to just 6 interceptions with a 106.4 passer rating is certainly nice. With that said, Brees struggled to stay healthy that year and flamed out in his final playoff game. He threw multiple interceptions just two days after turning 42 against, you guessed it, Brady and the Bucs.
Can Pittsburgh’s Roster Help Rodgers Defy the Odds?
If Rodgers doesn’t go out like Brees, a better non-Brady benchmark could be Brett Favre’s 2009-10 effort with the Minnesota Vikings. In addition to being a former Green Bay Packers quarterback fresh off a letdown year with the New York Jets, Favre was 40-plus and trying to adapt to a new environment again. He led Minnesota to a 12-4 record in the regular season and was a field goal away from winning the NFC championship game.
The Steelers’ hope, at the least, is that Rodgers can improve over last season given a better set of circumstances. The jury is out on his starting tackle duo, but there’s absolutely a world where he benefits from solid pass protection. Elsewhere, he’s got a trio of very solid tight ends and an awesome top target to throw to in wideout DK Metcalf. At running back, the Jaylen Warren–Kaleb Johnson duo is dynamic and talented.
Pittsburgh’s defense will set the franchise’s 2025 floor. A new-look cornerback room now contains high-profile veterans like Darius Slay Jr. and Jalen Ramsey. Up front, pass rusher T.J. Watt is as motivated as ever following a massive contract extension. In the past two seasons under defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, the Steelers have ranked in the top eight in points allowed.
The organization is counting on Rodgers to fight off Father Time and beat the odds. Their ceiling is almost entirely up to him. Tannenbaum isn’t wrong for siding with history, although that’s meant to be rewritten just as much as it’s meant to repeat itself.
