Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Has Throwing Ability Challenged: 'Very Pessimistic'

The hope for the Pittsburgh Steelers is that quarterback Aaron Rodgers can build on a decent 2025 season now that he has more weapons around him. The idea is that his football IQ will be enough to make the offense run at a quality level while being reunited with his old head coach will allow him to run the team smoothly. There are plenty of valid questions as to how all this will work out, but it's clear that Pittsburgh believes he still has what it takes to thrive at the NFL level. 

Not everyone shares that same level of optimism, however. In a recent episode of First Things First, Nick Wright explained his concern surrounding the veteran quarterback.

"[Aaron Rodgers is] going to be 43 during the season..." Wright said. "I am very pessimistic about how he's going to look at the end of the season."

On the show, they were talking about how some quarterbacks will make comebacks after they retire, but that does not seem to be the case here with Rodgers. Wright has every right to be pessimistic about how the 42-year-old will look when the season is over. There were definitely some warning signs in 2025 about his physical and mental decline at the NFL level. Could a new receiving core really help out with that? 

Rodgers was more focused on getting the ball out as soon as possible than letting guys get open. He had the single-fastest snap-to-throw time in the NFL in 2025 to go along with 6.7 yards per attempt. He has the ability to decipher a defense and find the right guy to hit, but it is very clear that he does not want to take hits, so he opts to just take what's there most of the time. 

What's to say that Rodgers will be more willing to stand in the pocket and let the plays develop more in 2026? The offensive line was very solid in 2025, and it should get somewhat better in 2026, especially if the rookies don't start immediately and guys like Dylan Cook are able to get back on the field. That doesn't mean the quarterback won't keep taking checkdowns after 2.5 seconds.

On top of that, Rodgers has dealt with injuries in recent years. He missed a game and a half with a fractured wrist in 2025, but when he tried to play through it, it was clear that it was still bothering him. This all came after he played through a whole season while recovering from a torn Achilles. This could end up being problematic in the long run.

Steelers And Rodgers Have Big Dilemma For Upcoming Season

As the stats and game film show, Rodgers wants to get the ball out of his hand quickly to avoid getting hit and stay healthy. However, throwing 73 checkdowns to the backup running back like he did in 2025 is not the key to success. Throwing a ton of short passes will put a ceiling on this team, and that ceiling is yet another first-round playoff exit. 

The alternative is to hold onto the ball longer so he can utilize all his weapons effectively and allow their routes to develop. The downside is that puts Rodgers at a significant risk to suffer yet another big injury. If he's able to stay healthy and complete more downfield passes, the Steelers could finally end the nine-year playoff win drought and be somewhat of a threat.

Historically, the Steelers have opted to take the safer route whenever they are presented with a fork in the road, whether that's on or off the field. It would not be surprising to see that happen again despite the coaching change, with more plays being designed for Rodgers to throw the football as soon as humanly possible. We will see for sure, but that seems to be the most likely outlook.