An argument for Rodgers

[ETL]

When the off season started I did not want Rodgers because I thought he would be full of drama and I believed he was physically done. Having said that - if he isn’t full of drama and if he is physically still talented - he may be our best option this year.

my best argument is that if you disagree - come up with another option that is better than Rodgers that DOES NOT involve us tanking.

many have advocated for us to just suck it up this year and get a better draft pick next year. You have said (over and over again OMG) about how Tomlin just wants to extend his non-losing streak but that will get us nowhere and how we need to take our medicine and bla bla bla. Yes I’ve heard all the arguments over and over again. But what I have not heard is a legitimate alternative option that offers a better QB than Rodgers.

the Steelers don’t tank. No team should tank. The Steelers have a limited window with their defensive stars. With those parameters - tell me who is better than Rodgers?

Stafford is better but he stayed in LA so he is not an option. Justin Fields is not better than Rodgers. Remember how significantly our passing game improved when he was replaced by Wilson last year. What makes you think Fields is suddenly good? His fans have wet dreams about him becoming another Lamar Jackson but Lamar Jackson was good from the get go. Fields is on his third team in 5 years. He is not a good QB and the Steelers were correct in not offering him starter money.

wilson is not better than Rodgers. We tried that and it didn’t work. Rudolph is not better than Rodgers. Dart, Shough, Milroe and Sanders are not better than Rodgers this year. If you wanted the Steelers to use this year to develop one of these guys then I understand your argument. However that means probably tanking this year and I honestly don’t believe they will be great QBs in the future.

cousins is not better than Rodgers and neither are Flacco, Winston or Mac jones.

basically to not want Rodgers is to say that we should tank this year to get a better qB next year. I can understand your logic. I do but I don’t think it’s in he DNA of Tomlin and the Steelers to trot out Rudolph unless absolutely necessary when Rodgers is available.

Rodgers is our best option at QB this year to win and even if it’s an 1/100 chance to win the SB - as Lloyd Christmas said …”so you’re telling me there’s a chance. Yeah!”

[Born2Steel]

I can't think of a better option.

[lipps83]

I think if they are not going to give Rudolph a chance, then Rodgers should be the guy until he gets hurt.

Never tank.

Ever.

[Born2Steel]

I think if they are not going to give Rudolph a chance, then Rodgers should be the guy until he gets hurt.

Never tank.

Ever.

Do you think Rudolph hasn't had a chance? I'll admit that he looked good 2 years ago at the end of the season. But I'm not so sure he actually looked good, or just looked better than what we had been watching so far that season. I don't think Rudolph was ever plan A for this season.

I think it's pretty clear from today's viewpoint that Rodgers was the plan and a deal was done pre-draft, just waiting until mini-camp for him to sign and come in. No other team was bidding for him? Zero? The deal had been struck.

I'm ready for TC. Let's GO!

[ALLD]

We got the AARP discount.

[Edman]

I think if they are not going to give Rudolph a chance, then Rodgers should be the guy until he gets hurt.

Never tank.

Ever.

But Constantly staying where you are allows others to continually move past you.

Rodgers is merely a stopgap to maintain 9-8.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

Do you think Rudolph hasn't had a chance? I'll admit that he looked good 2 years ago at the end of the season. But I'm not so sure he actually looked good, or just looked better than what we had been watching so far that season. I don't think Rudolph was ever plan A for this season.

I think it's pretty clear from today's viewpoint that Rodgers was the plan and a deal was done pre-draft, just waiting until mini-camp for him to sign and come in. No other team was bidding for him? Zero? The deal had been struck.

I'm ready for TC. Let's GO!

Any QB that has been in the NFL since 2019 has had a chance. Rudolph has almost 700 pass attempts in 29 career NFL games. He has shown what he is and is not so far, which is a backup that can run an offense if needed due to an injury.

Rodgers is the better option, but I still think the Steelers will be fighting for a wildcard spot at best, so lets watch them compete week to week.

[Born2Steel]

Any QB that has been in the NFL since 2019 has had a chance. Rudolph has almost 700 pass attempts in 29 career NFL games. He has shown what he is and is not so far, which is a backup that can run an offense if needed due to an injury.

Rodgers is the better option, but I still think the Steelers will be fighting for a wildcard spot at best, so lets watch them compete week to week.

All that means to me is we don't win the division and play on wildcard weekend. Well damn!

[oneforthetoe]

I originally wanted Fields and then Russ before Aaron. With the info we got so far, I have changed my mind somewhat. Glad we took Aaron over Russ because he definitely has more left - and had more to begin with. I still would have preferred Fields, but I will be happy to be proven wrong. It's not that I think it likely that Fields will suddenly turn into a franchise QB. However, I still think we would compete for a wildcard with Fields as the starting QB. Also, there is the chance (small as it may be) that he does suddenly blossom.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

All that means to me is we don't win the division and play on wildcard weekend. Well damn!

Yup, IMO the ceiling is that we finish 2nd in the division and get a wildcard playoff berth. If the Bengals stay healthy, there is a good chance Steelers are 3rd in the division and if the wheels fall off with a 41 year old QB, then could be ugly.

I just want to watch competitive football and be a fan. But no real hopes of actually seeing this team even in the AFCCG at this point.

[Voice of Reason]

When the off season started I did not want Rodgers because I thought he would be full of drama and I believed he was physically done. Having said that - if he isn’t full of drama and if he is physically still talented - he may be our best option this year.

my best argument is that if you disagree - come up with another option that is better than Rodgers that DOES NOT involve us tanking.

many have advocated for us to just suck it up this year and get a better draft pick next year. You have said (over and over again OMG) about how Tomlin just wants to extend his non-losing streak but that will get us nowhere and how we need to take our medicine and bla bla bla. Yes I’ve heard all the arguments over and over again. But what I have not heard is a legitimate alternative option that offers a better QB than Rodgers.

the Steelers don’t tank. No team should tank. The Steelers have a limited window with their defensive stars. With those parameters - tell me who is better than Rodgers?

Stafford is better but he stayed in LA so he is not an option. Justin Fields is not better than Rodgers. Remember how significantly our passing game improved when he was replaced by Wilson last year. What makes you think Fields is suddenly good? His fans have wet dreams about him becoming another Lamar Jackson but Lamar Jackson was good from the get go. Fields is on his third team in 5 years. He is not a good QB and the Steelers were correct in not offering him starter money.

wilson is not better than Rodgers. We tried that and it didn’t work. Rudolph is not better than Rodgers. Dart, Shough, Milroe and Sanders are not better than Rodgers this year. If you wanted the Steelers to use this year to develop one of these guys then I understand your argument. However that means probably tanking this year and I honestly don’t believe they will be great QBs in the future.

cousins is not better than Rodgers and neither are Flacco, Winston or Mac jones.

basically to not want Rodgers is to say that we should tank this year to get a better qB next year. I can understand your logic. I do but I don’t think it’s in he DNA of Tomlin and the Steelers to trot out Rudolph unless absolutely necessary when Rodgers is available.

Rodgers is our best option at QB this year to win and even if it’s an 1/100 chance to win the SB - as Lloyd Christmas said …”so you’re telling me there’s a chance. Yeah!”

If Rodgers gets hurt early, which is a distinct possibility, then all the quarterbacks you mentioned would be better than Rodgers.

[Born2Steel]

LOL!!!!! IF...a guy isn't playing then ALL the guys playing will be a better option. LOL!!!!

[Voice of Reason]

LOL!!!!! IF...a guy isn't playing then ALL the guys playing will be a better option. LOL!!!!

Yep. And since Rodgers at 42 stands a good chance of getting hurt, that was my point.

[Hawkman]

LOL!!!!! IF...a guy isn't playing then ALL the guys playing will be a better option. LOL!!!!

Every bit of wrong……but still funny.

[saturdaysarebetter]

In his last 10 games with the Jets last year, Rodgers had 18 touchdowns and 4 interceptions.

[Mojouw]

Jets were 3-7 in those games. So...how much of that was garbage time nonsense production?

[Born2Steel]

Jets were 3-7 in those games. So...how much of that was garbage time nonsense production?

14pts vs the Bills in week 17. All in the 4th qtr. Jets lost 40-14, was 30-0 after 3. Rest of those games were either close or points all scored in the 1st half.

[tube517]

Some Jets notes


I am as negative as anyone is about Rodgers but his defense sucked. He had very little help from the running game. Breece Hall had 800+ yards rushing, which sucks. The defense gave up almost 25 ppg. Garrett Wilson was his primary receiver and that is really the only help he got until Adams got there



Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro XL using Tapatalk

[Mojouw]

14pts vs the Bills in week 17. All in the 4th qtr. Jets lost 40-14, was 30-0 after 3. Rest of those games were either close or points all scored in the 1st half.

Does that mean they're were games where they didn't score for an entire second half?

Sounds like once the scripted plays ran out; things didn't go well? I'm asking. No actual idea.

[Mojouw]

Some Jets notes


I am as negative as anyone is about Rodgers but his defense sucked. He had very little help from the running game. Breece Hall had 800+ yards rushing, which sucks. The defense gave up almost 25 ppg. Garrett Wilson was his primary receiver and that is really the only help he got until Adams got there



Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro XL using Tapatalk

I hear ya. But this is sounding just like what got said about Wilson last year.

Garrett Wilson might be better than anyone on the Steelers roster.

[Born2Steel]

Does that mean they're were games where they didn't score for an entire second half?

Sounds like once the scripted plays ran out; things didn't go well? I'm asking. No actual idea.

3 times in the 2024 season the Jets were scoreless in the 2nd half. One of those games was vs the Steelers.

[Mojouw]

3 times in the 2024 season the Jets were scoreless in the 2nd half. One of those games was vs the Steelers.

UFF Da. That is not good.

One would assume the 2025 Steelers can't be worse than that...

[Born2Steel]

We were held scoreless in the 4th quarter last season several times. I'm sure some of that is a combination of late game defense not getting off the field, and playing from behind resulting in turnover on downs or just turnovers. Last season was ugly.

This is a different team this season in a lot of areas. New QB, RB room, WR1, added Roman Wilson and Jonnu Smith, and now the OL hopefully has both first round OTs playing. I don't think we can really know what to expect from this offense in 2025. ARod is the best passer of the football we've had since Ben's elbow surgery. That has to be counted as improvement. What the Jets did last season has zero effect on what the Steelers will do this season. It's good offseason chatter but ultimately means nothing.

[Mojouw]

We were held scoreless in the 4th quarter last season several times. I'm sure some of that is a combination of late game defense not getting off the field, and playing from behind resulting in turnover on downs or just turnovers. Last season was ugly.

This is a different team this season in a lot of areas. New QB, RB room, WR1, added Roman Wilson and Jonnu Smith, and now the OL hopefully has both first round OTs playing. I don't think we can really know what to expect from this offense in 2025. ARod is the best passer of the football we've had since Ben's elbow surgery. That has to be counted as improvement. What the Jets did last season has zero effect on what the Steelers will do this season. It's good offseason chatter but ultimately means nothing.

I mean, all those are difficult to predict situations.

Harris was as ballyhooed (or more) when he was drafted as Iowa dude is now. Harris was good but not offense changing.

I like DK Metcalf. I really do. He is a physical monster. But his career in Seattle has been "not the guy you build an offense around". For whatever the reason, the Seahawks felt Jaxson Smith Whatever was that guy. I suspect that Arthur Smith looks at Metcalf and gets weak in the knees about the possibilities. Hopefully, those possibilities are the AJ Brown of Philadelphia where he morphed into a dominant WR in all areas of the field, not the still emerging version that was seen in Tennessee. For reference, Brown basically had Pickens last three seasons in Tennessee with 24 TDs to Pickens' 12 being the big difference. Anyways....back to Metcalf....he should be good, but will he be REALLY good? Because if not....meh?

Roman Wilson is supposed to be good because something about scouting. But if he couldn't crack the rotation of nobodies that was in front of him post injury last year....why would anyone be predicting much from Wilson now?

CAIII is on his second or third off-season of hype. He's fast. He works hard. So what?

I keep reading how Jonnu Smith is a weapon. I keep wondering if those internet things are produced by Arthur Smith burner accounts because the NFL doesn't seem to think so. No team has fought hard resign him once his contract is over. Fifth team in his 7 year career. Typically that is not how field altering offensive weapons progress. Maybe he will be amazing. Or maybe he can join a much hyped but low production Steelers TE room.

Wilson was supposed to be the best passer since Ben's injury. He was underwhelming. Why is Arod expected to be different? Father Time is a stern old bastard and he comes from everyone. Particularly middle aged QBs who don't like to workout. Ad to the relevance of the Jets stuff....how is it not? Every time the Steelers sign some high profile dude from another team, I read about how their past or recent past film/production isn't relevant because of this reason or that reason....then they come to Pittsburgh and perform precisely how their recent NFL game tape says they perform.

Now...what I have provided above is just as speculative as the more positive spin you advanced. I do not know what scenario will come to pass....merely pointing out that it is ALL speculation at this point. Personally, I see more reason for pessimistic outlooks on the season because those outcomes rely less on the Steelers having players be totally unique. Such as Rodgers having a dominant season after a run of declining play at an advanced age. OR Kaleb Iowa somehow being Derrick Henry right out of the chute (even Derrick Henry wasn't Derrick Henry right away).

The one thing that does seem to align with the way things usually go is the OL improving. I do think it is not unreasonable or ignoring league trends to think that the OL could grow into a very strong unit over the first month of the season.

The rest of the roster? The Steelers are trying to create unique/exceptional 1 out 10 outcomes all over the place.