Aaron Rodgers turned 42 years old on Tuesday, and the Steelers wished him a Happy Birthday on social media. Such is, ironically, the standard for NFL teams. Rodgers hasn't been the only problem for this Pittsburgh team, but he hasn't helped of late, either.
The Steelers have lost three out of their last four games, all in relatively different ways (which is unique in its own right), but there's no denying Rodgers is suffering the brunt of injury, age and a lackluster system that was designed around his limitations. Tomlin spoke with the media this week and admitted 6-6 was not what he had in mind when this Steelers team was constructed in large part with his influence and input.
Mike Tomlin comes to a Steelers realization years in the making
Steelers fans were loud and not-so-proud in their loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, chanting 'Fire Tomlin' and booing 'Renegade', which is a fourth-quarter staple at Acrisure Stadium. To his credit, Tomlin took it all on the chin.
"In general, I agree with them, from this perspective: Football is our game, we're in a sport entertainment business," Tomlin said Tuesday. "And so if you root for the Steelers, entertaining them is winning. And so when you're not winning, it's not entertaining."
In classic Tomlin fashion, he identified the problem without providing a real solution.
"Certainly our last performance wasn't up to snuff, but I don't know that it lessens our belief in self or our ability to deliver individually and collectively moving forward," he said. "Yeah, 6-6, and I don't like it."
The proper follow-up to ask Tomlin, were the media provided the chance to do so, is why he believed this team would be anything but 6-6 at this point in the season? The Steelers have relied heavily on veteran talent the last few years, and those same players tend to run out of gas by the midway point, and when forced to play against top-tier competition. When it comes to games against the likes of the Bills, the Steelers never really stood a chance. It doesn't matter if the game itself was played in Pittsburgh, Buffalo or Siberia.
Steelers finally ditched a veteran wasting away in Pittsburgh – but not Aaron Rodgers
The Steelers have one of the oldest rosters in football. Their defense quite literally is the oldest in the sport. They rely heavily on veterans like Cameron Heyward, TJ Watt and Jalen Ramsey, all of whom have had disappointing seasons by their standards. Atop the list of Pittsburgh offseason failures is Darius Slay, who the Steelers dumped on Tuesday. Slay had been one of the secondary's worst performers to date, and was replaced on the depth chart several times over.
The Steelers thought Slay had something left in the tank and could be relied upon as a slot cornerback this season. Instead, he was often targeted by opposing offenses, and the result was burnt toast.
Pittsburgh replaced Slay on the roster with Asante Samuel Jr., who was released by the Los Angeles Chargers earlier this season. They also put in a waiver claim for wide receiver Adam Thielen, formerly of the Vikings, who is somehow older than Slay! You really can't make this stuff up.
Steelers refuse to learn from their mistakes
There is a running joke among Steelers fans which has picked up in the national media (finally, I might add), that Tomlin tends to solve one problem with another.
Mike Tomlin will say something like, "We can't eat soup with forks. We need spoons." Then the Steelers will sign a 2018 Pro Bowler to the practice squad.
— Seth Rorabaugh (@SethRorabaugh) December 1, 2025
Right on cue, the Steelers let Slay – a player they had little use for – walk in favor of an even older veteran presence. This is not to say the Steelers don't need help at wide receiver, as they almost certainly do. However, I'd be surprised if Thielen plays meaningful snaps for them this season. This is the same team that added Marquez Valdes-Scantling earlier this year, and we've heard little from him since.
Pittsburgh tries to patch up bullet wounds with bandaids. In this case, they're using old, used bandaids, which will only lead to an infection down the line.
Rodgers is 42, and he's stuck throwing to a blanketed DK Metcalf, a trio of tight ends Arthur Smith can't scheme open, failed Day 2 draft picks and now a player who hasn't made a Pro Bowl since, you guessed it, 2018.