The Detroit Lions consider every team in the NFC North a foe, but there’s something about the Green Bay Packers that makes them the team’s key rival. Part of that reason is all of the successful seasons quarterback Aaron Rodgers had with the Packers, really shoving it in the face of the Detroit Lions on an annual basis.
Now, Rogers is back in the NFL for one last go, serving as the quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. This should be interesting. It’s like the gift that keeps giving, having the chance to go up against Rodgers no matter the team, at least if the Lions can keep pulling off wins, which they’ve done lately.
Now, one NFL analyst and expert has a pretty grim prediction for Rodgers in 2025, and it’s something Lions fans are going to totally lap up.
Detroit Lions Foe Aaron Rodgers is Back
Ahead of the upcoming season, Alex Kay from Bleacher Report is analyzing the current quarterback situation in the NFL and which guys are in the hot seat. In a June 3 feature for Bleacher Report, Kay names five NFL quarterbacks who he believes could get benched in 2025. “Clubs that have it tend to do whatever they can to hang onto it—evidenced by the blockbuster contracts that have been handed out to upper-echelon starters in recent years—while those that lack it tend to make finding some a top priority in the offseason,” he states.
Kay also says that these players are guys who are “currently penciled in as starters” but have the possibility of being “benched during the 2025 NFL season.”
Kay names Rodgers on as one of the signal-callers in trouble. The piece was written before Jones’ deal with the Steelers, but it assumes that he does join the team.
“If the 41-year-old does elect to stave off retirement for at least one more year in a quest to make one more Super Bowl run, it’s likely going to be an ill-fated decision,” Kay stated in the feature.
From there, Kay isn’t very flattering, noting that the former MVUP “is coming off a massively disappointing two-year tenure with the New York Jets.”
The Steelers Have a Unanswered Questions
Of course, Rodgers was heathy during his last season with the New York Jets and started in all 17 games for the team, but he didn’t have the kind of numbers that were seem during his rival days with the Lions in the Green Bay Packers.
Now, the Steelers have Rodgers, but what Rodgers doesn’t have is the best offensive line. That’s a problem for Rodgers.
“The Steelers’ offensive line left a lot to be desired last year as well and didn’t make any significant upgrades in the offseason,” Kay noted in the piece. “If Rodgers cannot summon the magic of his early career, they could opt to give Will Howard a fair shake in the latter stages of the campaign.
If Rodgers doesn’t do well with the Steelers, he’ll likely finally call it a day in the NFL. He really has nothing left to prove, except for a few more wins over the Lions. Meanwhile, the Lions will have a chance to beat him when they play the Steelers in December. Bring it on.
