Analyzing the good and bad about an aging Aaron Rodgers taking over as Steelers QB

In the waning days of Ben Roethlisberger’s career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, coach Mike Tomlin was looking at traits he desired in his next quarterback.

It was during the 2021 bye week that Tomlin studied quarterback mobility and its impact on the NFL product. He analyzed trends and ways mobility could be used in situational moments.

That quest led to the Steelers signing Mitch Trubisky the following season, to drafting Kenny Pickett in the first round. They weren’t run-first quarterbacks or even among the fleetest of foot in the game, but they could make plays happen when the pocket collapsed.

When those options didn’t translate into enough wins — or any when the postseason arrived — the Steelers turned to Russell Wilson and Justin Fields last season. Although the Steelers made the playoffs for the fourth time in a five-year span, they made a fourth one-and-done appearance.

The Steelers wanted to retain the younger Fields in free agency, but they were unwilling to match the $30 million guaranteed — and $20 million average annual value — he received from the New York Jets.

When other options dried up, the Steelers eschewed the mobility aspect by pursuing 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers, whose signing became official Saturday when he put pen to paper on a one-year, $13.65 million contract that includes $10 million guaranteed. Rodgers can earn as much as $19.5 million if he and team reach certain playing time and performances bonuses.

The signing, which comes three days before the start of mandatory minicamp, gives the Steelers an established pecking order at the game’s most important position. Rodgers will enter training camp as the starter, Mason Rudolph will be the backup with sixth-round draft pick Will Howard trying to earn the No. 3 spot over Skylar Thompson.

It also gives the Steelers a glaring lack of mobility at quarterback. Howard has the most upside in that department, and he did score seven rushing touchdowns last year, but the Steelers aren’t counting on him to play in 2025.

As for Rodgers, he once could break the occasional long run when forced from the pocket. These days, though, he’s not much faster than Bartolo Colon chugging down the first-base line.

His signing is a clear indication that — for one year, at least — Tomlin is willing to put aside the importance of quarterback mobility to end that run of playoff futility that has lasted eight seasons.

With that established, let’s examine what Rodgers, a four-time MVP and the league’s No. 7 career leader in passing yards, does and doesn’t do well as a passer at this stage of his career.

The good

He can still get the ball into the end zone. The New York Jets were 5-12 last year and had a midseason coaching change in Rodgers’ second season in Gotham. The first, of course, lasted just a handful of plays before Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon tear.

Still, Rodgers threw 28 touchdown passes — seven more than Wilson and Fields combined — and completed 63% of his attempts. Rodgers tied for seventh in touchdown passes, throwing the same number as Buffalo’s Josh Allen, the NFL MVP, and two more than Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, a two-time MVP.

Rodgers also isn’t afraid to wing it. His 584 attempts last year were second only to Joe Burrow’s 652. This approach wouldn’t seem to mesh well with the run-preferred offensive system that coordinator Arthur Smith likes to use. But the woeful Jets didn’t have the offensive balance needed to stay in games last season, forcing Rodgers to play catch-up in pursuit of elusive victories.

Rodgers also played better the further he was removed from his Achilles injury. After the Steelers’ Beanie Bishop intercepted Rodgers twice in a Week 7 game at Acrisure Stadium, Rodgers had 18 touchdown passes and four interceptions the rest of the season. He had six of his seven performances with a 100-plus quarterback rating after that game, as well.

The bad

Taken in totality, Rodgers showed his mistakes are increasing in lockstep with his age. His 11 interceptions tied for ninth in the NFL. Rodgers went through 11 consecutive seasons without reaching double figures in interceptions. He’s since done it twice in as many full seasons. He threw 12 in 2022, his final year in Green Bay, one more than his total last season.

Then again, Mahomes also threw 11 picks last year, and that didn’t keep him from leading the Chiefs to a third consecutive Super Bowl appearance.

Rodgers isn’t making deep connections. He had a 6.7 average yards per attempt last year, which ranked No. 27 in the league. That matched what Rudolph, a career backup, did in eight games with Tennessee last season before his reunion with the Steelers.

Rodgers also took 40 sacks, which was tied for ninth. That number is concerning when one considers the Steelers are putting him behind an offensive line that will feature first-year starters at their respective tackle positions. Broderick Jones will start at left tackle after spending two years on the right side. Troy Fautanu has made one career start at right tackle. And the Steelers are starting two second-year players — center Zach Frazier and right guard Mason McCormick — on the interior.

It’s reminiscent of what happened with Roethlisberger in 2021, his final season. Roethlisberger averaged 6.2 yards per attempt that year, the second-lowest number in his career, at age 39 while playing behind a line that had rookies at left tackle (Dan Moore Jr.) and center (Kendrick Green). Roethlisberger was sacked 38 times that final season, his highest total since 2013.

The aging

When Roethlisberger won his second and final Super Bowl in 2008, he was 26 years old. His last appearance came two years later when the Steelers lost to Rodgers and the Packers in Super Bowl XLV.

Rodgers was 27 when he led Green Bay to that 31-25 victory at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.

Roethlisberger never got to the Super Bowl again, a fate that Rodgers understands all too well. He went 0-4 in his final four NFC championship game appearances with the Packers, those losses coming in a seven-year span.

Tomlin pursued Rodgers because he believes, even at 41 and with a lack of mobility, he gives the Steelers the best chance at returning to the Super Bowl. Tom Brady is the only quarterback to win a Super Bowl after age 40 — doing it twice. Peyton Manning was 39 when he led Denver to the Super Bowl 50 title a decade ago.