When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Aaron Rodgers this offseason, they did so to change the culture. Rodgers has delivered so far, grouping up with his Pittsburgh teammates prior to training camp and saying all the right things – typically far away from the Pat McAfee Show – about life as a Steeler. This is the version of Rodgers that Mike Tomlin ordered, but it could all change in a hurry. As we all know, Rodgers is not shy about hiding his opinion.
Rodgers found a way out of the New York Jets in part by point to problems without a real solution. He had a problem with head coach Robert Saleh, who was promptly relieved of his duties. He didn't love the pieces put in place around him, and thus Joe Douglas was, eventually, also fired. Rodgers is great at finding problems, and eventually he gets to the bottom of it (or inspires a reporter to do his bidding). The answer to the Jets woes is ownership. In Pittsburgh, it's far more complicated.
How Aaron Rodgers can help fix the Steelers problems
The Steelers have tried and failed to find a quarterback in the post-Ben Roethlisberger era. Kenny Pickett, Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph were not the guy. We can safely assume that at this point. Rodgers, at 41 years young, is at best a short-term solution. This Pittsburgh team is down so bad that some teammates have even tried to convince Rodgers to remain in 2026, which would be an abject disaster if the future Hall of Famer has any legs to stand on at that juncture.
We have wrote ad nauseam how terrible of a fit Rodgers is in Pittsburgh, but perhaps we've been looking at this all wrong. The Steelers need to be held accountable, and not so Rodgers can fix them. If the Steelers are routinely called out, both subliminally and on national television, they'll have no choice but to look internally, just as the Jets and Packers did before them.
"Whose decision was it to bring THIS guy in, of all people?" the Rooneys will ask. It's none other than Mike Tomlin, who hasn't won a playoff game since 2016 but is treated like Chuck Noll but Steelers ownership.
Aaron Rodgers could turn into Mike Tomlin's worst nightmare
Steelers fans question Mike Tomlin daily. So does the media, and even some former players. The team does not. Players who don't play for the Steelers love him. Coaches want in on his staff if only because of the job stability. Tomlin is empowered by Steelers ownership, headlined by the Rooney's, but that control is not backed up by results. This, more than anything, is the problem.
If a Rodgers-led Steelers team goes 10-7 yet again and loses their first playoff game, nothing will change. Rodgers will be happy enough and consider such a season a moral victory and proof he was able to go out on top. Might as well bring in the next quarterback on this carousel, right?
Not so fast. The best-case scenario for Steelers fans isn't just another winning season banner at Acrisure Stadium, but a complete and utter disaster. I'm talking Rodgers missing time due to an airborne illness and then using that time to call out everyone on the team for their vaccine preferences. I mean back-to-back three-interception performance, two of which go off DK Metcalf's hands in each game, leading to another Rodgers tantrum. I need Rodgers to experience Tomlin's poor time-management skills in person, and then tell me he's still glad he signed in Pittsburgh.
Rodgers is a ticking time bomb. He has just enough confidence in himself and so few damns to give that he's willing to take this entire franchise down with him. As a lifelong Steelers fan, the only way for this organization to learn from its mistakes and perhaps finally admit Tomlin's best years are behind him is for Rodgers to drag him into his metaphorical football grave.
If you're going to make Steelers fans root for Aaron Rodgers, of all people, at least make it entertaining.