The Pittsburgh Steelers have made the playoffs in four of the last five seasons and haven’t had a losing record in 18 years under head coach Mike Tomlin. Given that consistency, it would be fair to assume the oddsmakers should favor them to reach the postseason again. Especially after a strong offseason that included signing veterans Aaron Rodgers and Jalen Ramsey, along with a solid draft, their playoff odds should’ve improved. But that hasn’t been the case.
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The Steelers currently have +142 odds to make the playoffs and -176 odds to miss out. Bettors clearly aren’t high on them. Surprisingly, even the Chicago Bears, who’ve consistently fallen short in recent years, have better odds of winning the Super Bowl than Pittsburgh, something which will piss off Rodgers, who has had the upper hand on the Bears during his time with the Packers.
Kay Adams couldn’t believe the odds released by her own employer, FanDuel. The odds shocked and surprised her and fellow analyst Hamilton. He pointed out that the odds simply don’t add up, especially considering the Steelers have been one of the most consistent playoff teams under Mike Tomlin, even while dealing with instability at the quarterback position over the years.
The skepticism surrounding Pittsburgh has raised eyebrows, particularly in light of the team’s revamped roster and the arrival of Aaron Rodgers. Oddsmakers may doubt Rodgers’ ability to lead the team back to the postseason, but Hamilton confidently backs Tomlin, Rodgers, and the Steelers organization to get the job done.
Adams, too, finds the Steelers’ playoff odds puzzling, and potentially rooted in an anti-Rodgers narrative. She believes the doubt stems from Rodgers’ age and the ACL injury he suffered two years ago. But in her view, that logic is flawed.
“It’s all Aaron. It’s all anti-Aaron. There is no other way to explain this. This is literally people, I’m talking to you, FanDuel. This is a call coming from inside the house. This is just disbelief in him being able to come back, which we have outlined over and over again, that the second year off a devastating season-ending injury is the year to go all in and believe in the guy. I believe in him.”
As she pointed out, quarterbacks typically see a significant jump in performance in their second year after an ACL injury. That’s why Adams is fully backing Rodgers and Pittsburgh this season, and she thinks bettors should consider doing the same.
The Steelers have been the definition of consistency. They’ve made the playoffs with Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, Justin Fields, and even Russell Wilson. So why wouldn’t they get there with Aaron Rodgers? Is he really a downgrade from all those names? In his only full season with the Jets, Rodgers didn’t even play poorly; his stats were nearly identical to Patrick Mahomes’.
Sure, what happens in the playoffs is a different conversation. But when it comes to simply reaching the postseason, Tomlin’s teams rarely miss the mark.
And when it comes to preseason odds? They don’t matter, especially before a single snap is played. A few wins early in the year, and Rodgers could quickly find his rhythm, start playing like the Aaron of old, and remind everyone why he’s a four-time MVP. That’s exactly the version of Rodgers the Steelers are hoping to see, because this could very well be his last dance. And he’ll want to go out on
