Dream or Nightmare? Steelers Star Reveals Rodgers Crush

It’s a pairing that would make at least one star happy.

Steelers receiver George Pickens revealed Rodgers as his “dream teammate,” perhaps pushing Pittsburgh closer towards a deal.

“My dream teammate would probably be Aaron Rodgers,” Pickens said, via Overtime SZN. “Aaron Rodgers or Ed Reed. Something like that.”

There is still reason to believe in Rodgers as a viable starter. His history speaks for itself, there were some nice flashes late in the year, and there’s a temptation to blame last year’s dysfunction on an incompetent organization rather than an esteemed passer.

However, Rodgers – while arguably a slight upgrade over the Steelers’ 2024 quarterback play – has concerns that might make him more of a nightmare than a dream.

On the wrong side of 40, Rodgers is as polarizing as ever. Maybe that’s something Tomlin can continue to manage; maybe it’s the one personality he cannot. But on the field, Rodgers doesn’t have much more than his 28-11 touchdown-interception ratio to hang his hat on.

By yards per attempt, passer rating, and a handful of efficiency metrics, he had the worst year of his career. Of 32 qualified passers, he had the third-worst completion percentage over expected.

Rodgers is an aging passer who limits the playbook with his immobility and has a knack for locking onto receiver Davante Adams, who he pushed New York to trade for. If Pickens is the lead target in Pittsburgh, maybe a marriage works. But if Adams is a package deal, and Pickens – in a contract year – falls lower on the pecking order? That may be enough to write off the signing altogether.

Prime Rodgers and a deep threat like Pickens does make a lot of sense. In 2025, though, it’s a far cloudier projection.