Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is back in the headlines for the same reason as last year — deciding whether he’ll return for another NFL season. At age 42, every offseason seems like a coin toss on whether the veteran will return, and Pittsburgh Steelers fans are the ones waiting on the edge of their seats this year.
Aaron Rodgers Can’t Create Explosive Plays Like He Used To
Rodgers is one of the rare few elite quarterbacks in NFL history to maintain top-end performance into his 40s. However, he has already started to show cracks. With far more years in the league behind him than in front, the quarterback is no long-term answer for any team.
The veteran might still have all the mental capacity of top-tier signal-callers, but his physical abilities are starting to wane, understandably.
“His arm strength is still like it was 10 years ago — he can still throw it,” said one defensive coordinator who faced Rodgers last year. “His movement is what’s left him a little bit. He can still maneuver in the pocket, but he can’t get away the way he used to.”
In 2025, Rodgers recorded some of the worst numbers of his career as a full-time starter. In his 16 starts, he put up 3,322 passing yards for 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. According to PFSN’s QB Impact Metric, he posted an impact score of 71.4, and ranked 29th in the league at his position.
“His arm strength is what it always was,” the DC said. “The difference is back in the day, you’d worry about him scrambling, getting out, and creating explosive (plays). Now he can’t do that, and he doesn’t want to get hit… But he can still f—ing throw it.”
Rodgers is by no means the Steelers’ future under center. With 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard sitting behind the veteran, many, including head coach Mike McCarthy, are convinced the youngster is set to take the reins from Rodgers once the four-time NFL MVP leaves Pittsburgh.
“People get caught up on what round [Howard] went in, but if I was drafting players that year, he wouldn’t have been around in the fifth or sixth round,” McCarthy said about the young quarterback in March.
“I valued him higher than that based off Kansas State,” he added. “I just thought he just jumped out of the TV set during the College Playoffs (at Ohio State). I mean, what is there not to like about the guy? I think he’s definitely a real prospect as a starting quarterback. I believed that when he came out.”
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Pittsburgh also selected Penn State quarterback Drew Allar in the third round of this year’s draft, and he is another young quarterback who is expected to learn under Rodgers.
The Steelers find themselves at a key juncture, with Rodgers considered to be a mentor. If Howard or Allar don’t pan out as hoped, the front office could look to a loaded 2027 draft class for answers.
