New York Jets fans know what it’s like, and now Pittsburgh Steelers fans have experienced the same thing – only longer.
And now, it’s finally over.
Aaron Rodgers Watch has come to an end. According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Rodgers has informed the Steelers he plans to sign with them, and will attend minicamp next week.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero confirmed the news, stating that Rodgers will fly to Pittsburgh on Friday to sign with the Steelers.
Pelissero added that the contract parameters have been in place for months, although the details remain unclear.
Rodgers will walk into the door as the Steelers’ starting quarterback, overtaking Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and Skylar Thompson on the depth chart. He will look to improve upon a wildly disappointing two-year run as the Jets’ starting quarterback, in which he won only five games that he started and finished.
Of course, Rodgers’ debut in Black and Gold will come against his former team, as the Jets will host Pittsburgh at MetLife Stadium in Week 1. On the other side of the field, Justin Fields will face off against his former team after leading them to a 4-2 record last year.
Rodgers hopes to spark a Pittsburgh team that has been firmly capped at a first-round ceiling for the better part of the last decade. The Steelers still haven’t had a losing record since 2003, but they also have not advanced past the first round since 2017, losing four straight wild card games in the process. Their last playoff win came in 2016.
If Rodgers is going to take Pittsburgh over the hump, he will have to perform much better than he did for the Jets last season. Statistically, Rodgers is arguably a downgrade compared to his predecessor, Russell Wilson. In 2024, Wilson had a 95.6 passer rating (14th out of 36 qualifiers) and 51.3 QBR (24th), while Rodgers had a 90.5 passer rating (21st) and 48.0 QBR (28th).
Rodgers played in New York under his handpicked offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, who was demoted early in the season and is currently out of a job. In Pittsburgh, he will play under Arthur Smith, the former Falcons head coach who returns for his second season as Pittsburgh’s OC following a much-maligned debut year.
