Aaron Rodgers has declared this to be his final NFL season. He’s re-signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, reuniting with Mike McCarthy and hoping to make one last run at a Super Bowl. Rodgers helped them win the AFC North last season, although they got crushed in the playoffs. While the Steelers have improved their roster, former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho doesn’t believe Rodgers will get a fairy-tale ending.
“I think this season for Aaron Rodgers is gonna suck,” Acho said recently on his Speakeasy podcast. “The reason I say that is, I’ll never forget a Hall of Fame coach told me, ‘The fun is in winning…’
“You don’t have fun when you lose. I don’t anticipate the Steelers winning a lot of meaningful games this year. Can they get to eight, nine, 10 wins? Potentially. Will they win anything of significance to Aaron Rodgers’ or Mike McCarthy’s level? I don’t see that being the case… Aaron Rodgers is a shell of himself.”
Rodgers isn’t the same player he once was. He’s 42 years old, and an Achilles injury a few years ago sapped much of his athleticism. However, he isn’t completely out of gas. Rodgers showed he could still be a capable NFL quarterback, as he still has a strong arm.
The key for the Steelers will be supporting Rodgers. They won the division with him last year, despite the team having minimal contributions from wide receivers other than DK Metcalf. Michael Pittman Jr. and Germie Bernard should give Rodgers better targets to throw to.
Also, Rodgers should fit better in McCarthy’s offense. He thrived in that system for years with the Green Bay Packers. While he won’t hit those same heights this year, he could help the Steelers’ offense look less anemic.
The only perfect ending for Rodgers’ career would be a Super Bowl win, which doesn’t seem likely. However, if the Steelers’ offense improves, it’s reasonable to expect they could fight for a playoff spot. Winning a playoff game with Pittsburgh could at least be a nice consolation prize for Rodgers, and that seems more realistic.
Rodgers said he had fun with the Steelers last year, leading to his return this year. Maybe things won’t go as well in his second season in Pittsburgh, but on paper, it doesn’t look like a complete disaster. There are reasons to be optimistic about Rodgers’ final season.