NFL analyst says the Steelers are no longer the same franchise after reeking of 'desperation' for quarterback Aaron Rodgers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the proudest franchises in all of sports. 

Some believe that status is changing, however, as the team hones in on a decade without a playoff win, and a series of culture issues that have some second-guessing the standard in Pittsburgh. 

Kelvin Washington of Fox Sports is one of them...

Steelers no longer the gold standard?

“I’m blown away that an organization like the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have been one of the blue bloods, a historically well-run organization, would be this desperate for one in particular person who is 41 years old, best days behind him, who seems noncommittal, said Washington when speaking on the Aaron Rodgers saga in Pittsburgh. "They’re acting more like they’re not the Pittsburgh Steelers and more like the Jacksonville Jaguars, or the Carolina Panthers, or the Las Vegas Raiders, making a desperate move. I’m not even knocking him, he played pretty well. But if you’re going off pretty well, Russell Wilson played pretty well and he’s four or five years younger. I genuinely have no idea what they’re doing."

There are a lot of different avenues here. In the macro, I don't disagree that the Steelers organization has fallen on hard times as of late, much of which is due to their own doing. 

And before anyone says winning seasons, that is not the Steelers' standard. The erosion of culture, the continuation of drafting wildcards and characters, and of course, the quarterback decisions post Big-Ben mar a loss in the gold standard. 

But as it specifically relates to Aaron Rodgers, in the micro, I don't blame the Steelers. What were they supposed to do? Run it back with Russell Wilson? The quarterback who lost five games in a row and had a horrible relationship with Arthur Smith. 

Justin Fields would have been their best bet, but I also understand the organization not wanting to kowtow to the demands of a player who has yet to show he is a certified starter in this league. 

Mason Rudolph doesn't get enough credit for what he did in 2023, but is he better than Rodgers? I don't think so. Does Will Howard, who fell to the sixth round and has never taken a snap in the NFL, give Pittsburgh a better shot at winning a Super Bowl in 2025? 

I think not.