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Ever since the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, the Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback since 2004, there has been one main topic of discussion surrounding the franchise: who will be the next quarterback to don the Black and Gold? Many believe that the Steelers could be on the verge of competing for a Super Bowl with a very talented roster and a well-assembled veteran coaching staff. That said, Pittsburgh still has problems that go beyond the quarterback position, and the addition of Aaron Rodgers would do nothing more than kill the team’s future.
The weakest link on the Steelers’ current roster is most likely the offensive line — arguably the worst offensive line unit in the league right now. Though Ben Roethlisberger was not as mobile as his younger days last season, more often than not, the near-40-year-old quarterback was either on the ground, or running for his life constantly. Typically, you do not want your star quarterback taking a beating every single night, especially not when they’re 39 years old. Coincidentally, Aaron Rodgers is also in his late 30’s (38 years old), and over the past few seasons, the four-time MVP has made it clear that he does not want to be a part of a rebuild.
Additionally, the Steelers seem to be constructing their offense around their 2021 first-round draft pick, Najee Harris. Last season, Harris carried the ball 307 times, the second-most carries of any player in the NFL. The Steelers desperately need a second running back, but even more so, they need a good offensive line. The franchise will likely need to look for young linemen in the NFL Draft and some veterans in free agency to make this happen, but regardless, the offensive line should be top priority. If the Steelers’ next quarterback is going to be sacked five times per game, it is probably not a smart move to go after a non-mobile, older quarterback that costs a fortune and is likely one bad hit away from being forced into retirement.
The most frequent argument in favor of Rodgers joining the Steelers is using Tom Brady in Tampa Bay as an example; however, Brady inherited a wildly-talented team that he knew he could win a Super Bowl with in year one. At the time of Brady’s arrival, the Buccaneers had a stable offensive line, an offensive-minded head coach with a great coaching staff, an elite defense, and some elite weapons all over the offense. Even though Pittsburgh is not a bad team right now, they are nowhere near the Buccaneers as far as talent. In fact, if Rodgers truly wants to inherit a win-now team as Brady did, he will likely head to the Denver Broncos.
Throughout the long and prestigious history of the Steelers organization, Pittsburgh has been known for one thing above all the rest: elite defense. In 2021, that was not quite the case. While the defense is far from being pitiful and does carry some elite-level weapons (such as Cam Heyward and TJ Watt), the Steelers’ defense still could use some help. Last season the Steelers ranked 20th in team defense and scoring defense, ninth in passing defense, and dead last in rushing defense. On average, Pittsburgh gave up 23 points per game, a very mediocre stat and definitely not good enough to win a Super Bowl with the current roster.
Though it is undeniable that the NFL is moving in an offensive direction, defense is still an incredibly important part of any team’s success. In Ben Roethlisberger’s final regular-season game, the Steelers’ defense came up big in many situations throughout the game. With the Steelers’ playoff hopes on the line, the defense sent the game to overtime, eventually leading to a 16-13 Steeler victory over the Baltimore Ravens. The following week, it became painfully apparent that the Steelers’ defense was far behind that of elite-level teams such as the Chiefs, as Kansas City routed the Steelers, 42-21 in their wild-card playoff matchup. If Pittsburgh wants to contend, they will also need to beef up their defense, especially their linebacking corps and secondary.
Bringing Aaron Rodgers to the Steel City would essentially be nothing more than a PR move at this point in time. If the Steelers decide to pursue the veteran quarterback, they would need to send multiple first-round picks and potentially a few young players to Green Bay — both things that the franchise cannot afford to do right now. On top of that, Rodgers would take up an incredible amount of cap space, preventing the Steelers from working on the holes in their offensive line and defense.
Even though the Steelers are in good shape, the franchise needs to focus more on their future than anything right now. Especially with young quarterbacks such as Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow in the division, the Steelers cannot afford to sell out their future unless they are ready to bring home a seventh Super Bowl. As of right now, the team is probably not ready to go all the way. Instead, the Steelers should address their primary needs, build a winning and competitive roster, and potentially find a young quarterback in the draft or a bridge quarterback until they are ready to make a true playoff run. Rodgers will not win a Super Bowl if he comes to Pittsburgh, but he will set the team even further back. The jersey and ticket sales are not with the future of the franchise.
Rodgers is simply not a winner in the postseason. Even with a functional organization around him and one of the most well-prepared rosters in the NFL, Rodgers has not made it back to the Super Bowl since winning his first ring back in 2010. In fact, Rodgers is playing with a successful head coach, incredibly talented offensive weapons, is in one of the weakest divisions in the entire league, and still cannot win anything past a divisional-round playoff game. In a tougher division with a less-talented roster, worse offensive coaching staff, and a more challenging path to the Super Bowl, there is little-to-no chance that Aaron Rodgers will help lead the Steelers to their seventh ring before retirement.
Do you think that Aaron Rodgers could be a good move for the Steelers to make this offseason? Let us know in the comment section below!
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The Steelers’ Biggest Issue: The Offensive Line
The weakest link on the Steelers’ current roster is most likely the offensive line — arguably the worst offensive line unit in the league right now. Though Ben Roethlisberger was not as mobile as his younger days last season, more often than not, the near-40-year-old quarterback was either on the ground, or running for his life constantly. Typically, you do not want your star quarterback taking a beating every single night, especially not when they’re 39 years old. Coincidentally, Aaron Rodgers is also in his late 30’s (38 years old), and over the past few seasons, the four-time MVP has made it clear that he does not want to be a part of a rebuild.
Additionally, the Steelers seem to be constructing their offense around their 2021 first-round draft pick, Najee Harris. Last season, Harris carried the ball 307 times, the second-most carries of any player in the NFL. The Steelers desperately need a second running back, but even more so, they need a good offensive line. The franchise will likely need to look for young linemen in the NFL Draft and some veterans in free agency to make this happen, but regardless, the offensive line should be top priority. If the Steelers’ next quarterback is going to be sacked five times per game, it is probably not a smart move to go after a non-mobile, older quarterback that costs a fortune and is likely one bad hit away from being forced into retirement.
The most frequent argument in favor of Rodgers joining the Steelers is using Tom Brady in Tampa Bay as an example; however, Brady inherited a wildly-talented team that he knew he could win a Super Bowl with in year one. At the time of Brady’s arrival, the Buccaneers had a stable offensive line, an offensive-minded head coach with a great coaching staff, an elite defense, and some elite weapons all over the offense. Even though Pittsburgh is not a bad team right now, they are nowhere near the Buccaneers as far as talent. In fact, if Rodgers truly wants to inherit a win-now team as Brady did, he will likely head to the Denver Broncos.
Pittsburgh’s next priority should be the defense
Throughout the long and prestigious history of the Steelers organization, Pittsburgh has been known for one thing above all the rest: elite defense. In 2021, that was not quite the case. While the defense is far from being pitiful and does carry some elite-level weapons (such as Cam Heyward and TJ Watt), the Steelers’ defense still could use some help. Last season the Steelers ranked 20th in team defense and scoring defense, ninth in passing defense, and dead last in rushing defense. On average, Pittsburgh gave up 23 points per game, a very mediocre stat and definitely not good enough to win a Super Bowl with the current roster.
Though it is undeniable that the NFL is moving in an offensive direction, defense is still an incredibly important part of any team’s success. In Ben Roethlisberger’s final regular-season game, the Steelers’ defense came up big in many situations throughout the game. With the Steelers’ playoff hopes on the line, the defense sent the game to overtime, eventually leading to a 16-13 Steeler victory over the Baltimore Ravens. The following week, it became painfully apparent that the Steelers’ defense was far behind that of elite-level teams such as the Chiefs, as Kansas City routed the Steelers, 42-21 in their wild-card playoff matchup. If Pittsburgh wants to contend, they will also need to beef up their defense, especially their linebacking corps and secondary.
Aaron Rodgers is a bad move all around
Bringing Aaron Rodgers to the Steel City would essentially be nothing more than a PR move at this point in time. If the Steelers decide to pursue the veteran quarterback, they would need to send multiple first-round picks and potentially a few young players to Green Bay — both things that the franchise cannot afford to do right now. On top of that, Rodgers would take up an incredible amount of cap space, preventing the Steelers from working on the holes in their offensive line and defense.
Even though the Steelers are in good shape, the franchise needs to focus more on their future than anything right now. Especially with young quarterbacks such as Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow in the division, the Steelers cannot afford to sell out their future unless they are ready to bring home a seventh Super Bowl. As of right now, the team is probably not ready to go all the way. Instead, the Steelers should address their primary needs, build a winning and competitive roster, and potentially find a young quarterback in the draft or a bridge quarterback until they are ready to make a true playoff run. Rodgers will not win a Super Bowl if he comes to Pittsburgh, but he will set the team even further back. The jersey and ticket sales are not with the future of the franchise.
Rodgers is simply not a winner in the postseason. Even with a functional organization around him and one of the most well-prepared rosters in the NFL, Rodgers has not made it back to the Super Bowl since winning his first ring back in 2010. In fact, Rodgers is playing with a successful head coach, incredibly talented offensive weapons, is in one of the weakest divisions in the entire league, and still cannot win anything past a divisional-round playoff game. In a tougher division with a less-talented roster, worse offensive coaching staff, and a more challenging path to the Super Bowl, there is little-to-no chance that Aaron Rodgers will help lead the Steelers to their seventh ring before retirement.
Do you think that Aaron Rodgers could be a good move for the Steelers to make this offseason? Let us know in the comment section below!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
