Jul 24, 2025; Latrobe, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) participates in drills during training camp at Saint Vincent College. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Ravens Newest Rival Won’t Influence Division

Originally posted on Baltimore Ravens on SI
By Henry Brown | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 1:00 PM ET

Aaron Rodgers has made it no secret that he's out for blood in 2025, but that's not to say that the Baltimore Ravens, his new divisional neighbor, need be worried.

The surefire Hall of Famer's accumulated a few rivalries across his storied career, and he's looking to complete a unique bounce-back campaign by stomping on a few of the the teams at the top of his list with his newest organization, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Age, unfortunately, comes for all, and not every old quarterback can recreate Tom Brady's success in seamlessly transitioning from one Super Bowl-caliber situation to another between the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Rodgers is attempting to follow the fellow legend's lead in extending his playing time into his mid-40s, but he's officially getting flagged as a concern to keep eyes out for with the regular season standing mere days away.

USA Today was explicit in their worries about Pittsburgh's biggest newcomer's overlapping with the most questionable position on the roster, with the elderly Rodgers looking far from the sort of quarterback solution to which franchise has spent the last decade avoiding committing.

"Aaron Rodgers just had the worst season of his NFL career. He turns 42 in December. He'll be throwing to one of the thinnest receiving corps in the league, one year after... throwing to one of the thinnest receiving corps in the league and having the worst season of his NFL career," Christian D'Andrea wrote.

Rodgers could have made magic with the receiving room of DK Metcalf, Calvin Austin, Scotty Miller and Roman Wilson in his heyday, which already miraculously stretched into his late-30s. He won his fourth MVP award just a few years ago in 2021, but he's since become more contact-averse than ever while still taking more sacks in a season than he had since 2018.

The version of Rodgers that most recently split 18 games between two seasons with the New York Jets was not the same inspiring signal caller of old, a statue in the pocket who lacks the same accuracy and zip with the ball that he once used to chew up defenses.

Pittsburgh is known for consistently crawling to winning records in spite of whoever they throw out there under center, leaving the door open for him to play some league-average football in his 21st season, as unlikely as that is.

The Steelers aren't favored to do anything special this fall, and his status remains a major reason for much of that general indifference. The Ravens, on the other side of contending expectations, can thank their AFC North rival for bringing Rodgers aboard.

This article first appeared on Baltimore Ravens on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: