Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Suffered What Patrick Mahomes Had To Suffer Against The Eagles In Super Bowl LIX

The Pittsburgh Steelers' most recent quarterback addition, Aaron Rodgers, has struck controversy between fans in the Steel City. Rodgers is 41 years old, turning 42 in December, and is coming off of a two-year tenure with the New York Jets, which did not finish with promising results. There are countless Steelers fans, and even Pittsburgh radio hosts, like Andrew Fillipponi, that are certain Rodgers' football abilities have diminished greatly. However, the argument that Rodgers is the most talented quarterback they've had since Ben Roethlisberger can certainly be made.  

Neither the Steelers or Rodgers have had great success in the postseason since the two sides met in Super Bowl XLV. Now, they join forces to make one final push at the end of his career. The Steelers have gone eight consecutive years without a playoff victory, and Rodgers' last playoff win occurred during the 2020-2021 season. Pittsburgh reached the playoffs twice in three seasons without Roethlisberger, but the lack of talent at the quarterback position was very evident in those two games. 

On Friday, Fillipponi and former defensive back for the Steelers, Bryant McFadden, spoke on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh about Rodgers and his performance last year. 2024 was Rodgers' first opportunity to play a full season healthy since tearing his Achilles in 2023. McFadden is currently a Rodgers defender, who made a great argument to Fillipponi -- who thinks Rodgers stunk last season. 

"He wasn't just the only person on the football field. What were the other 10 guys doing?" McFadden told Fillipponi. "Because last time I checked, if a quarterback doesn't have the sound protection that he needed, if the wide receivers are not doing what they need to and create separation, you could look below average. We just saw that with Pat Mahomes in three quarters of play against [the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl]."

Many insiders, since Rodgers and the Jets parted ways, have speculated about their struggles last season and where blame is to be put. It may be a fair argument that Rodgers did not play all that well, but New York also made serious changes in the front office. 

The Jets underwent significant changes, including the firings of Head Coach Robert Saleh and General Manager Joe Douglas. Saleh was fired after just five games of the season, with Defensive Coordinator Jeff Ulbrich promoted to interim head coach. Douglas was dismissed after a 3-8 start, six weeks after Saleh's departure. 

McFadden compared Rodgers' 2024 season with the Jets to the Kansas City Chiefs' performance against the Philadelphia Eagles in last season's Super Bowl. The Eagles finished victorious by a score of 40-22, but the entire game felt like a blowout. Patrick Mahomes was only able to lead the offense to six points through the first three quarters, because of the reasons that McFadden detailed previously. Mahomes got torn apart behind his offensive line and suffered getting sacked six times. His best receiving target, Travis Kelce, was also unable to produce, having only 39 yards receiving.

Steelers Have A Much More Stable Situation For Aaron Rodgers Than The Jets

While the Steelers have had Mike Tomlin as their head coach since 2007, and achieving 18 consecutive non-losing seasons, the Jets are bringing in another new head coach in 2025. The Steelers haven't faced any organizational issues even remotely close to what the Jets' 2024 season looked like. Arthur Smith is also a proven offensive coordinator that could help Rodgers elevate his game again. The Steelers are about one objective - winning football games, in both the regular season and postseason.