Sometimes, a throwback performance isn't always a good thing. The Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive performance on Sunday Night Football looked a lot like a team with Kenny Pickett at quarterback, and Matt Canada calling the plays. Neither Canada nor Pickett have been employed by the organization since the end of the 2023-24 season. Leading up to Week 10, Arthur Smith and Aaron Rodgers had been running the Steelers offense with precision. Then, they ran into the brick wall that was the Los Angeles Chargers defense.
The Steelers had just over 80 yards of total offense at the end of the first half. They didn't record a third-down conversion until the fourth quarter. It was one of the worst performances of Aaron Rodgers' career, let alone his worst of the season as a Steeler. Up until a late-game, garbage-time touchdown pass to Roman Wilson, Rodgers had the second-lowest passer rating, third-lowest yards-per-attempt and lowest QB rating of his career in Los Angeles. That's not going to cut it, and somewhere deep down, Mike Tomlin knows it.
Mike Tomlin snaps at reporter postgame, is having Steelers deja vu
In his postgame presser, Tomlin did not sound thrilled taking questions from reporters. One Steelers insider in particular asked the embattled head coach how he would grade Rodgers performance, and all Tomlin could so was sneer.
Coach Tomlin addresses the media following our game against the Chargers. @Acrisure pic.twitter.com/HB5k0h1ssL
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 10, 2025
Both Tomlin and Rodgers told the media it was their job to create the narrative, not the team's. For Tomlin in particular, he has to feel like he's been here before. Just last season, Russell Wilson got off to a tremendous start in Pittsburgh, but the offense struggled down the stretch and the Steelers lost five straight games (including the postseason) to end their campaign.
As we wrote on Sunday morning, through seven starts in Pittsburgh, Wilson actually had better numbers than Rodgers in several key statistics, including EPA per attempt, EPA per dropback and overall passer rating. After Rodgers' career-worst performance on Sunday night, those similarities will only be heightened.
The key difference between Rodgers and Wilson is that one is a surefire, first-ballot Hall of Famer, while the other descended into late-career backup in a matter of a few games. Rodgers has the confidence and ability to bounce back quickly, and the Steelers will need him to do so. Of course, there are some tools Pittsburgh has in their back pocket to take some pressure off their 41-year-old quarterback in the process. That's where Tomlin and Smith come in.
It's time for the Steelers to unlock Jaylen Warren
The Steelers rushing attack, headlined by lead back Jaylen Warren, was supposed to be a weapon this season. At times, that has been the case, but Smith has used a running-back-by-committee approach with Warren taking the bulk of the carries, but giving way to Kenneth Gainwell and (lately) rookie Kaleb Johnson.
When utilized properly, Warren can be one of the best running backs in the AFC. The Steelers have limited his production to under 20 carries in every game they've played so far. While there have been reasons for that — he's an undersized back Tomlin has never really considered a true bellcow — now should be the time to reconsider such positions. Warren is on pace for his best season to date, with nearly 700 total yards of offense so far. If the Steelers are to make the postseason and win their first playoff game in a decade, it will be on the back of Warren and the running game, rather than the rapidly-deteriorating arm of their 41-year-old quarterback.
At this point in his career, Rodgers can show flashes of the former MVP he once was. He can't be the feature, however, which is something Smith and Tomlin ought to drill in his head. That was never more evident than a three-play sequence at the start of the fourth quarter on Sunday.
Warren had led the Steelers down the field and into the red zone. After a four-yard carry on first down, Rodgers checked out of another run play, throwing an incompletion to DK Metcalf on an RPO. On third down, Rodgers sailed a throw to Gainwell, and followed that up for forcing a fade to Metcalf on fourth down. Had Pittsburgh stuck with what ought to be its strength – this is Pittsburgh, after all – they could've scored to make it a one-possession game. I might be writing a different story altogether right now.
Instead, Tomlin let Rodgers call the shots. That worked in the first half of the season, but simply won't as the weather gets colder and the Steelers schedule gets tougher, period.