It was a shock on Friday to listen to stories that four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers seemingly got here out of the darkness to go to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ facility on the South Aspect and sit down with the likes of proprietor and staff president Artwork Rooney II, GM Omar Khan, head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
What isn’t a shock is that issues proceed to tug out because the 41-year-old quarterback nonetheless hasn’t made up his thoughts on what he desires to just do but.
The longer this drags out, the extra annoying it will get.
For ESPN’s Chris Canty, who performed within the NFL with the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens, he believes that even with a signing of Rodgers, the Steelers aren’t higher roster-wise than the New York Jets had been a yr in the past. He added throughout an look on Unsportsmanlike on ESPN Radio that he believes it’s extra probably the Steelers have their first dropping season beneath Tomlin than it’s they win a playoff sport with Rodgers in 2025.
“I gotta ask this query ’trigger we’re simply, we’re simply kicking it round. From a expertise standpoint are we certain that the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025 are gonna be higher than the New York Jets in 2024?” Canty stated, in line with audio by way of ESPN Radio. “You possibly can’t make the argument that the receiving corps is healthier. Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams had been fairly good receivers. You gonna attempt to make the argument with working again with Breece Corridor and Braelon Allen within the backfield versus Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell? You possibly can’t make the argument with the offensive line. Protection? The Steelers have Cam Hayward and T.J. Watt. Minkah Fitzpatrick is nice. The New York Jets had All-Professional gamers on all three ranges. They had been loaded. That they had Quinnen Williams, Quincy Williams and Sauce Gardner, amongst others.
“From a expertise standpoint, we are able to’t sit there and say ‘Oh, properly, Aaron Rodgers goes to a extra gifted staff within the Pittsburgh Steelers than what he needed to take care of within the final two years with New York.’ No, he ain’t. In case you’re betting on seeing a unique model of Aaron Rodgers, you make an enormous wager on Mike Tomlin and giving him the good thing about the doubt. And I don’t know the way you are able to do that with Mike Tomlin particular to quarterback play with the revolving door that the Pittsburgh Steelers have skilled at that place during the last half decade.”
Canty has a very good level. It wasn’t as if the New York Jets had been devoid of expertise final season. In reality, they went out of their option to commerce for Rodgers’ favourite receiver in Davante Adams halfway by way of the yr, and regardless of the headline acquisition, the Jets had been nonetheless unhealthy offensively with Rodgers on the helm.
Certain, the offensive line was a large number and there wasn’t a lot of a run sport to talk of in New York, however there wasn’t a lot offensively for the Jets till late within the yr when issues had been all however over with. The Jets did have an important protection to lean on, which largely stored them in video games, nevertheless it’s not like Rodgers can be going from the worst staff within the NFL from a expertise perspective to a loaded one.
As Canty stated, you might be betting on seeing a greater model of Rodgers and the Steelers successful extra video games in 2025 than the Jets did in 2025, and that may very well be primarily as a result of presence of Mike Tomlin. Nevertheless it’s not as if Tomlin has been good with the quarterbacks since Ben Roethlisberger retired.
The Steelers have largely skated by whereas transitioning from Roethlisberger, they usually’ve been near teetering to having that dropping season. May that lastly occur with a 41-year-old quarterback on the helm? It definitely might. That appears extra believable than the Steelers someway successful a playoff sport within the loaded AFC.
