Ahead of what he is “pretty sure” will be the final season of his professional football career, Aaron Rodgers is still trying to shake the public perception of being a diva-like quarterback. Darkness retreats, tales of DMT trips, and a propensity for throwing the ball out of bounds whenever he doesn’t like the play call are just some of the many things that have hindered his reputation throughout the past several years.
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Nevertheless, the Pittsburgh Steelers are remaining adamant that Rodgers’ “personality issues” are of no concern to them at this point. In fact, the team’s general manager, Omar Khan, even went as far as to suggest that they would be more than willing to have him back for another season should everything go well in 2025.
“Obviously, we have to see how the season goes,” Khan explained during his recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show. “But absolutely. He’s a young 41, and we’re obviously taking it year-by-year, and that’s where we’re at, but we’re obviously not closing the door on anything.”
According to the hosts of The Sports Porch podcast, Khan’s vote of confidence in Rodgers is more than enough to justify some optimism in Pittsburgh. Simply put, those “personality issues” are a mute point for a franchise that is desperately trying to find its first playoff win since January 15 of 2017.
If anything, the only concern, at this point in time, is Rodgers’ age.
“You can’t question the legitimacy of what he’s done on the field through his career. He’s a first ballot Hall of Famer. People want to say he’s on his last legs, well yea, he probably is. A lot of people in media now are saying they are turning the corner now, and it’s like, what do you mean turning the corner? Why? Because he shows up and plays nice? Well, great!”
Even though Rodgers’ 2024 regular season campaign still saw him finish the season inside the top 10 of several key passing metrics, fans and analysts alike are still of the opinion that both his age and injury history were beginning to catch up to him in those final weeks.
His 2024 total of 11 interceptions marks the second-worst total of his career since 2010. Likewise, his 48.0 QBR was also the second-worst of his entire career.
There’s been a noticeable decline in his production throughout the past three seasons, that much is undeniable. However, where other QBs may regress towards and even below the league averages, Rodgers is proving to still be better than your average journeyman or fourth-year signal caller.
Considering that Pittsburgh has been suffering through uninspiring quarterback play for the better part of the last four seasons, it’s understandable as to why the Steelers may fancy their odds with a much more weathered yet just as competent signal caller.
