As the NFL world adjusts to Aaron Rodgers playing quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025, reactions from players and analysts across the league pour in. While the move adds instant intrigue to an already competitive AFC, not everyone believes it will lead to a storybook ending. That’s especially true of Patriots legend and former Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman.
Julian Edelman Questions Aaron Rodgers’ Super Bowl Potential in 2025
Speaking with Colin Cowherd on “The Herd,” Edelman made it clear that while he respects Rodgers and the Steelers’ organization, he has serious concerns about how this partnership will play out in such a short amount of time.
“They’ll be a solid football team, they always are,” Edelman said. “But do I think they’ll win a Super Bowl? No. Rodgers doesn’t know these guys yet. He’s coming in behind, just like last year with the Jets. And it took a while for him to get going then.”
Edelman’s comments cut to the heart of skepticism surrounding Rodgers’ final season. After a short-lived 2023 campaign that ended with a torn Achilles in Week 1 with the New York Jets, Rodgers returned in 2024 with high expectations but struggled out of the gate.
It wasn’t until the second half of the season with the Jets that he began to find rhythm with his teammates. By then, it was too late for the Jets to make a real push.
Rodgers finds himself in a similar predicament, attempting to establish chemistry on the spot while adjusting to a new locker room and a new scheme under Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Rodgers is also putting pressure on himself by declaring that this likely is his final NFL season.
Steelers’ Offensive Line Could Derail Rodgers’ Final NFL Run
Edelman also discussed Pittsburgh’s offensive line, a significant issue that has been largely overlooked. He told Cowherd that the Steelers didn’t do nearly enough to improve their offensive line in the offseason. Pittsburgh’s offensive line was at the bottom of league statistics last season.
“They were 29th in the offensive line last year, and they didn’t address that at all,” Edelman said.
Rodgers will need to have timing, protection, and trust, which typically takes time to develop. Yes, Rodgers gives the Steelers a sense of leadership, experience, and the capacity to work magic when it counts most. Sadly, the one thing that Rodgers and the Steelers need is time.
The plot is interesting. Now supported by one of the league’s most reliable teams, the future Hall of Famer seeks a final chance at greatness. Rodgers’ potential final journey is expected to be one of the NFL’s most followed and scrutinized this season, regardless of whether it ends in success or failure.
