Russell Wilson Likely Heavily Influenced Steelers' Decision To Pursue Aaron Rodgers

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had one of the roughest quarterback situations in the league over the last three seasons, and things were not going well at the position at the beginning of the 2025 offseason. Pittsburgh failed to re-sign Justin Fields, and the organization could not land a starting-caliber quarterback until Aaron Rodgers signed his contract this week. The quarterback took his time making a decision on his future as he dealt with some things in his personal life, but nearly three months after free agency opened, the quarterback put pen to paper.

Rodgers is the most experienced quarterback in the league, which means he has seen every defense that is possible. This will help Pittsburgh when it comes to Rodgers making pre-snap adjustments and coming to quick decisions -- and that was an area that Pittsburgh struggled with during the 2024 season. Quarterback Russell Wilson was reported to have a rocky relationship with Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith, and it stemmed from Wilson insisting on changing plays at the line of scrimmage. The only issue was when it didn't work, which could kill a drive for the Steelers.

ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler spoke about the Steelers acquiring Rodgers during an appearance on SportsCenter, and he spoke about what Pittsburgh is excited about with Rodgers.

"They believe that they get the best field vision from a quarterback that they've had since Ben Roethlisberger, that he can solve problems for them at the line of scrimmage," Fowler said. "They haven't really had that. He can get solutions and figure things out with his mind. They believe he still has plus arm strength."

Fowler addressed that Rodgers will be able to evaluate the defense and make the proper adjustments in order to put the offense in the best position to succeed. Fans might think that Wilson would have been able to do that considering all of the experience and success he has had in his career, but that clearly was not the case as Smith had to pull back the reins on the quarterback.

Rodgers has certainly regressed over the last few years as he has crept into his 40s, and the Achilles injury he suffered in 2023 did not help. He was bouncing back from the injury in 2024, and he got better as the season went along. He definitely struggled at times, but by the end of the season, he looked somewhat good as he threw for 28 touchdowns to only 11 interceptions. His physical traits have diminished, but his mind is still sharp, which could only help the Steelers on the offensive side of the ball.

The four-time league MVP is likely going to play better than he did during the 2024 season. He is further removed from his Achilles injury, and it can be argued that he has a better roster around him in Pittsburgh than he did with the New York Jets. Pittsburgh could have a successful season in 2025 where fans might see the playoff win drought end, but Rodgers will be the x-factor in that equation.

Steelers' Aaron Rodgers And Arthur Smith Have Some History

Rodgers and Smith have never been within the same organization, but the two have come close. Before Smith was hired by the Steelers during the 2024 offseason, there was some reported interest in the coordinator from the Jets. That essentially means that Rodgers was interested in played for Smith, as he had a decent amount of control in New York. 

The two have been working together over the last few weeks, even before Rodgers was under contract. Hopefully this is the start of a successful working relationship, as the offense looked horrific towards the end of the 2024 season with Wilson at the helm.

What do you expect from Rodgers' and Smith's relationship?