Analyst makes bold prediction about what Aaron Rodgers will be for Steelers

There are understandably more questions than answers regarding what free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers could be for the 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers. After all, Rodgers largely looked like a shell of his all-time great self with the New York Jets last season, coming off the torn Achilles he suffered in September 2023. 

During a Wednesday appearance on Pittsburgh sports radio station 93.7 The Fan, CBS Sports NFL reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala explained how her interactions with Rodgers during the 2024 campaign have her believing he could enjoy a bounce-back season with the Steelers. 

"He kept talking about feeling significantly better," Kinkhabwala said about her chats with Rodgers last season, per Matthew Marczi of Steelers Depot. "I expect him to, this year, be significantly better than he was last year, physically. It's just the...added year of post-injury that should have an impact."

It's worth noting that Rodgers seemingly wasn't healthy for the bulk of what became his lone season of serving as the Jets' full-time QB1. He reportedly dealt with a nagging hip issue, injuries to both his knees, a low ankle sprain and a serious hamstring problem during the fall. However, the 41-year-old did appear to get stronger in the closing weeks of the campaign. 

Specifically, Rodgers recorded eight touchdown passes and three interceptions over his final four games with the Jets. New York won two of those contests. 

Stats show that the Jets defense got worse after team owner Woody Johnson shockingly fired head coach Robert Saleh when the team was 2-3. Rodgers reportedly wasn't responsible for that move, and Kinkhabwala thinks the future Hall of Famer could benefit from playing for a more stable franchise that has featured Mike Tomlin as its head coach since 2007.

"There was a lot more wrong with the Jets than the play at quarterback," Kinkhabwala said about a side that finished the 2024 season at 5-12. "There were a lot of limitations. There were a lot of ways that [Rodgers] was hamstrung and challenged, not the least of which was his coach getting fired out of nowhere, the offensive staff completely changing. The defense did not uphold its end of the bargain a lot." 

Steelers Depot's Ross McCorkle mentioned in a different piece that ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter said during a Wednesday appearance on ESPN Milwaukee that he thinks Rodgers could sign with Pittsburgh "in the next week or so." One would think such a development would result in Rodgers participating in the Steelers' mandatory minicamp that's set to run from June 10-12.