Aaron Rodgers finally showed up.
All hail the conquering hero.
He was seen getting ice cream with teammates Pat Freiermuth, Mason Rudolph and Ben Skowronek. That’s a whole lot of vanilla.
Rodgers’ commitment was inevitable.
Now Will Howard gets cut. That’s inevitable, too.
Howard is the people’s choice, somehow rising in the estimate of the citizens despite not yet taking a competitive snap as a Steeler, not even in a preseason game.
“He’s a winner. He’s a pressure player. He got a natty.” Blah, blah, blah.
What Howard hasn’t got is a chance.
Howard’s best-case scenario is the practice squad. It will end with a whimper, not a bang.
Howard simps think Rudolph will get cut or traded.
Not sure there’s a lot of market for the latter.
The Steelers won’t enter a “win now” season with two quarterbacks who have never taken a regular-season snap backing up a creaky 42-year-old.
You can’t split the difference between winning and development. Ask the Penguins.
Rudolph got the Steelers to the playoffs in 2023, starting three games at regular season’s end and winning them all.
Rudolph is a proven No. 2. The Steelers won’t flush that. Nor will they ditch Rodgers’ ice-cream buddy.
Rudolph is going to get a double scoop of backup duty. Howard gets an empty cone.
The Steelers won’t cut Drew Allar despite being “bad in big games,” etc., everything that’s said to deny his undeniable potential.
New coach Mike McCarthy won’t dump the third-round pick that McCarthy was part of drafting to keep the sixth-round pick that arrived before McCarthy did.
Allar has all the tools. McCarthy can build him a toolbox.
Howard doesn’t have what Allar does. Allar has a far higher ceiling.
I posted a poll on Twitter: Of the possible outcomes, 59% of those responding predicted that Rudolph would get cut or traded. Fifteen percent said the Steelers would keep four quarterbacks.
That might be what you want.
It won’t be what you get.
You can’t wish Howard into employment.
NFL teams don’t keep four quarterbacks. Howard isn’t the guy to make an exception for. McCarthy won’t want to clutter his quarterback room.
The Steelers could finagle something, like putting Allar or Howard on injured reserve.
But that would be a waste of time.
Howard’s NFL career won’t be much. He’s a sixth-round pick, but he’s not Tom Brady or Marc Bulger.
Howard is going to get cut.
That became a sure thing the moment Rodgers put pen to paper.
I’m not crazy about the Rodgers signing.
He can win, but not enough.
At 42, injury is likely. My over/under for games played is 13.
Rodgers will get $22 million. Bonuses might take his payday to $25 mil. That ticket ranks Rodgers 18th among NFL quarterbacks. Rodgers isn’t the 18th-best QB, but that’s not too far off.
Rodgers isn’t a mentor. Strikes me as too selfish for that job.
Rodgers and McCarthy could clash. They have before. But they’ve also worked well together. (You don’t coach Rodgers. You negotiate.)
The best definite about Rodgers coming back is that McCarthy’s offense will be executed properly by a great football mind.
That’s what Rodgers still has going for him: his guile. His arm isn’t what it was. He can’t move at all. Won’t take a hit to make a play. But he reads the game at an elite level.
It all leads, at best, to 10-7 and a playoff loss.
It might lead to worse.
When Rodgers and his immobility run into an elite defense, it will eat him alive.
Like Houston did in last year’s wild-card round.
In the meantime, Howard gets cut.
Don’t worry, Howard fans. You can still follow his career. In the UFL, arena football, somewhere.
I could go for some ice cream. Vanilla, of course.
