It’s expected that eventually, Aaron Rodgers will agree to terms with the Pittsburgh Steelers to come back for his second season with the franchise. And no matter which way you lean on the subject, there is both good and bad that comes with the 42-year-old being under center for a 22nd NFL season, as one NFL defensive coordinator pointed out to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

“His arm strength is still like it was 10 years ago—he can still throw it,” the defensive coordinator said. “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. His arm strength is what it always was. 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.”

Advertisement

With that, as Breer points out, the blueprint has been laid out on how to slow down the Steelers’ offense should Rodgers be the one under center in 2026.

“According to this particular DC, what you saw as the blueprint for attacking Rodgers last year was, when defenses got the Steelers in obvious passing situations, the focus was on changing the picture on him coverage-wise as much as possible and trying to get free rushers at him,” Breer writes. “The logic there: While you won’t fool him, you’re cooked if you give him the answers to the test. And if you can get him to hold the ball for a second longer and you can hit him, you can aggravate him.”

Luckily for the Steelers, their run game should improve in 2026 with the addition of Rico Dowdle, and Rodgers will have an upgraded group of pass-catchers led by Michael Pittman and Germie Bernard, meaning the passing game should be more dynamic by default.

Let us know what you think in the comments. Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more!

Advertisement