By going back to Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers can’t go forward

Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

We’ve seen this movie before.

It looks like the Pittsburgh Steelers are resuming the Aaron Rodgers Experience, with all signs pointing to the 42-year-old returning for a second season with the team. This also means the proud franchise will likely remain stuck in the same cycle of mediocrity it has been trapped in for over a decade. By going back to Rodgers, the Steelers are going nowhere.

What’s the best-case, realistic scenario here? Rodgers gets Pittsburgh to the playoffs, where, maybe, somehow, they win one postseason game before being throttled by a superior opponent. The worst-case scenario is finishing last in the AFC North.

A Terrible Towel-waving optimist will focus on Rodgers’ last-minute touchdown pass to Calvin Austin, which sent the Steelers to the postseason. A Terrible Towel-waving pessimist will focus on the fact that Pittsburgh needed a game-ending missed field goal by the Baltimore Ravens. Once in the playoffs, Rodgers’ performance against the Houston Texans was among the worst in recent history. 

Tom Brady was an outlier. Most 40-something quarterbacks have little left in the tank. At his peak, Rodgers used his arm and legs to challenge defenses, which is what made him a 4-time MVP with the . Now he plays like a guy afraid of getting hurt, throwing quick, short passes and only occasionally pushing the ball downfield.