Pittsburgh Steelers' Ceiling Questioned ... Even After Signing Aaron Rodgers

Pittsburgh Steelers' Ceiling Questioned ... Even After Signing Aaron Rodgers originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Pittsburgh Steelers were finally taken out of the Aaron Rodgers holding pattern and have officially landed at Acrisure Stadium with the four-time NFL MVP in tow.

But what's it all mean?

According to some, it could mean everything. Some pundits have the Steelers poised for a Super Bowl run in 2025. To others, it could mean more of the same. Another disappointing end to the postseason, or worse, no playoff appearance at all.

Inside the NFL's Mina Kimes believes even with the addition of Rodgers, there are still questions on offense, namely, the rushing attack.

“None of this will work, even if Rogers does buy-in, which I’m skeptical of. None of it will work, regardless of what the offense looks like, if they can’t run the football better than they did last year. And that’s something that they’ve invested in,” Kimes said.

“They spent a third-round draft pick on a running back this year, Kaleb Johnson, who I do think is a very good fit for the Arthur Smith sort of wide zone run game. But the offensive line is very strong in the interior tackles, tackle’s a question; Broadrick Jones at left tackles is the player that I think could be the pivot point of this season, both in terms of run blocking and pass protection. Rogers needs to be part of a more balanced offense.”

She's not wrong.

The rushing attack still has to prove it can be effective enough to open up a passing game for Rodgers.

Oh yeah, and then there's Rodgers himself.

As I wrote after the announcement that he'd officially be a Steeler, he struggled mightily last year in New York and posted very un-Rodgerslike numbers.

"Rodgers, who turns 42 in December, led the Jets to a 5-12 mark in his only full season in New York. Don't forget (Jets fans won't) that he missed all but four plays of the 2023 campaign after rupturing his Achilles on the first drive of the first game after joining the team two offseasons ago," I wrote on June 5. "Last season should be one to forget for Rodgers. He finished below the league average in passer rating - a stat of which he's the all-time career leader, and 31st in the league in QBR - behind names like Aidan O'Connell and Kirk Cousins.

"His five wins last season are his lowest win total since 2017, when he played just seven games for Green Bay and posted a 4-3 mark. Rodgers' previous low win total was six, which he posted three times since taking over as the Packers' starting quarterback in 2008."

We won't know for sure until after the season starts, but Steelers fans can only hope they get the Packers version of Rodgers and not the guy who played for the Jets last season.

Related: Aaron Rodgers Wearing Steelers No. 12 Is Preposterous

Related: What the Steelers Get With Aaron Rodgers at QB

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.