Or if they indeed don’t plan to make their first big headline by acquiring veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. At 41—old enough to be one of his offensive linemen’s fathers—Rodgers was recently cut by the New York Jets. Now he starts a new chapter of his storied career that has already included four NFL Most Valuable Player awards and being a Super Bowl Champion. Through the lens of today’s performance metrics, he has been largely ineffective in all facets of running a professional football team.
Rodgers attempts the second-most passes in the NFL a year ago. He connected on 63% of his attempts, accumulating 3,897 yards, 28 touchdown passes, and only 11 interceptions. Despite these numbers, he finished 26th in QBR in 2022 and 25th in 2024. Last year his average throw distance was a paltry 6.6 yards, the fifth shortest in all of football. This more limited range indicates he’s played it safer in the wake of his Achilles cut.
This was, indeed, a shrewd move by the Steelers to get Rodgers on board. They would like to see them make the most of his deep experience to address their biggest offensive issues. Figure 1 Head coach Mike Tomlin addressed the areas needing to be better with strong words, saying,
“In whatever way that happens is whatever way that happens. It doesn’t necessarily mean construction, but we certainly got to score more points. You’re not going to score 14 points a week in January and be very successful.”
This comment is a great illustration of the urgency that was felt across the organization to improve their scoring.
The Steelers have hired Arthur Smith as their new OC. Smith, who has served in leadership on the board since his election, touts an accomplished record. He’s delivered five top-five rushing offenses in his last six seasons as a playcaller. This renewed emphasis on a powerful ground game plays to Rodgers’ newfound penchant for the short throw and release with their game plan. Last year, he took only 2.69 seconds to throw on average, fifth among qualified quarterbacks.
Even with those issues, Rodgers is still a highly regarded player around the league. His accomplishments already put him as a future Hall of Famer with ten Pro Bowl selections and many more accolades under his belt. The question remains whether he can adapt his game to fit the Steelers’ needs while still contributing at a high level.
On the physical side, Rodgers was sacked 40 times last year and carried the ball just 34 times for 94 yards. His ability to resist pressure and prolong plays will come under a microscope as he steps into a new offensive system. During that span, he was averaging 6.7 yards per pass attempt in 2024. In order to supplant him atop his rankings, he needs to increase his on-ball aggressiveness.
The Steelers are banking on Rodgers’ experience and leadership to guide them through the upcoming season. As they make their playoff push, all eyes are on his capacity to adjust to this new landscape. Supporters are still excited to see if he can raise the floor on the overall performance of the team.
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