New survey on NFL QBs dampens expectations for Aaron Rodgers

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith clearly believe 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers can be an upgrade for the team at quarterback over what Justin Fields and Russell Wilson offered the Steelers last season.  

For an article published on Monday, Mike Sando of The Athletic shared that a panel of six general managers, six assistant general managers, six former general managers, five other executives, eight head coaches and 19 other coaches ranked Rodgers as the league's 16th-best quarterback for the 2025 season and as a "Tier 3" signal-caller. Per Sando, a Tier 3 quarterback "is a legitimate starter but needs a heavier running game and/or defensive component to win." 

While some coaches and executives seem to think Rodgers still has plenty left in the tank, at least one unnamed offensive coach believes the Steelers need to be realistic about what the future Hall of Famer will and won't be during what may be his final campaign as an active player.

"They all have to be going into this with eyes wide open," the coach told Sando about the Steelers-Rodgers relationship. "Aaron obviously feels comfortable with Mike and Arthur. He doesn't need to be No. 1 in the league in passing anymore. He needs to protect the football and throw touchdowns. He can still do that."

The harsh truth of the matter is that Rodgers hasn't consistently played at an elite level since the 2021 season. He suffered a broken thumb on his throwing hand in Week 5 of the 2022 campaign before he was knocked out of a Week 12 game with an injury to his ribs. He then famously tore his Achilles in his fourth meaningful in-game offensive snap of the 2023 season while with the New York Jets. More recently, injuries to both his knees, a low ankle sprain, a serious hamstring problem and a nagging hip issue impacted Rodgers last fall as the 2024 Jets went 5-12. 

That said, Rodgers' arm has reportedly looked just fine during training-camp practices this summer. It's also believed he feels "significantly better" than he did last season.

"He can still see, and he can still fit balls in there," a former head coach said about Rodgers. "He can't be dynamic like he was — scrambling, avoiding the rush and throwing it 60 yards down the field — but I still think he can play."

The Steelers acquired wide receiver DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks and then handed him a five-year deal worth $150M in March. However, Pittsburgh later traded presumed No. 2 target George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. Thus, some think Pittsburgh could be interested in landing a weapon for the passing attack such as Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins before the Steelers open the season with a matchup at the Jets on Sept. 7.

"Aaron has had good route runners around him when he was at his best," one defensive coach told Sando. "I don't know who the route runner is on [the Steelers]. Metcalf is like a bully, jump-ball, kill-you-in-the-red-zone guy. Truthfully, I have no idea how that works there."