Aaron Rodgers has enjoyed a glittering NFL career, filled with personal accolades, historic records, and elite-level consistency. Widely regarded as one of the greatest pure passers the game has ever seen, he’s also been one of the most dominant regular-season quarterbacks in history. His four MVP awards and countless milestones speak for themselves.
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Now, wearing Steelers colors, Rodgers has a chance to climb even higher on the all-time passing yards leaderboard—and could soon surpass Philip Rivers and Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger.
Many on Reddit believe Aaron Rodgers could soon pass Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers on the NFL’s all-time passing yards leaderboard—and they might be right. The four-time MVP currently sits at 62,952 yards over 247 games and 8,245 pass attempts. He needs just 448 yards to surpass Rivers (63,440) and 1,136 yards to move past Roethlisberger (64,088).
That’s well within reach. Rodgers has never thrown for fewer than 3,500 yards in any season in which he played at least 15 games. Even last year with the Jets, despite injuries and inconsistent offense, he still managed a solid 3,897 yards across 17 games. Besides, Aaron already has more passing TDs and fewer interceptions than both Rivers and Big Ben.
However, when the conversation shifts to postseason success, none of the three quarterbacks—Rodgers, Roethlisberger, or Rivers—boasts a spotless record. While Rodgers and Roethlisberger both have a Super Bowl ring to their name, Rivers never reached the big game, which is why many fans consider him one of the most overrated quarterbacks in NFL history.
Reddit users didn’t hold back, ripping into the former Chargers star despite his eight Pro Bowl selections. They argued that Rivers had a Hall of Fame running back in LaDainian Tomlinson and a strong defense during the prime of his career, yet still couldn’t break through. Some even accused him of being “whiny” and over-glorified for never winning a Super Bowl, claiming he gets more sympathy than legends like Dan Marino or Jim Kelly, who also fell short of a title but still left a bigger impact.
Chargers fans might defend him, but outside the fanbase, Rivers doesn’t get the same level of respect or reverence as Rodgers, Roethlisberger, or other top-tier names on the all-time passing list—many of whom not only put up numbers but also rewrote the record books. See for yourself,
— Josh McCaffrey (@JoshMcCaff911) June 15, 2025
They’re not wrong. Philip Rivers has a less-than-stellar playoff résumé—just five wins to seven losses. He never won an MVP, was never named an All-Pro, and while he made the Pro Bowl eight times, he led the league in passing yards only once despite racking up over 63,000 yards in his career.
Needless to say, if Aaron Rodgers were to surpass Ben Roethlisberger in career passing yards, while wearing the same Steelers uniform Big Ben wore for 18 seasons, it would be a poetic moment. By doing so, Rodgers would move into fifth place on the NFL’s all-time passing yards list.
However, at 41, it’s unlikely Rodgers has enough time left to catch his former teammate Brett Favre, who sits in fourth with 71,838 yards. Ahead of Favre is Peyton Manning at third with 71,940, Drew Brees at second with 80,358, and the GOAT himself, Tom Brady, at the top with a staggering 89,214 yards and a long list of other NFL records.
Still, Rodgers likely isn’t thinking about the record books. What he’s chasing now is a second Super Bowl. If he were to win a Lombardi Trophy in Steelers colors, he’d match Roethlisberger and join a prestigious group that includes the Manning brothers, John Elway, Roger Staubach, Jim Plunkett, Bart Starr, and Bob Griese—quarterbacks who all won two rings.
For a future Hall of Famer like Rodgers, it would be the perfect send-off before his next stop: Canton.
