Ravens' John Harbaugh Chimes In On Steelers' Controversial Acquisition Of Aaron Rodgers

The Pittsburgh Steelers finally found their starting quarterback for the 2025 season on Thursday when it was announced that Aaron Rodgers would be signing with the team. It had been nearly three months of the two sides being in contact without a deal being done, so the fan base can breathe a sigh of relief now that Rodgers is officially coming to Pittsburgh. Some hate the move, while others are fine with it as they can acknowledge that the four-time league MVP was the best option for Pittsburgh if the organization had serious intentions on being competitive in 2025.

Rodgers arguably provides Pittsburgh with its highest-ceiling, and there is a chance the organization can win a playoff game in 2025 with him under center. The best way to make it into the playoffs is by winning the AFC North, but Pittsburgh might have to settle for a Wild Card spot as the Baltimore Ravens seem to have a firm grasp on the division. Their head coach, John Harbaugh, spoke to the media on Friday, and he was asked about Pittsburgh acquiring Rodgers. He gave his thoughts on the matter.

"I didn't have reaction," Harbaugh said. "Just respect, respect for the Steelers, obviously. Respect for the team that they have, the coaches they have, head coach, Coach Tomlin. I mean obviously we've always respected Aaron Rodgers, I mean he's a Hall of Fame quarterback. So we'll have to go against a Hall of Fame quarterback with one of the premiere teams in the league. Who happens to be our arch-rival, so we'll be preparing for that."

Harbaugh was talking to a media scrum, so he wasn't going to say anything too candidly. He spoke about his admiration for Pittsburgh and Rodgers, but deep down, he knows that the veteran quarterback is on his last leg. He can still be a good quarterback, but he is nowhere near the player that he once was. He does however, give the Steelers their best chance to compete for the AFC North title.

Pittsburgh has not won the AFC North since the 2020 season when the team started the year out 11-0. The group still had its signature late-season collapse as Pittsburgh finished the year 12-4 and lost in the Wild Card Round to the Cleveland Browns. If the group wants to get back to winning the division, Pittsburgh needs consistent offensive production. There were too many times during the 2024 season where the offense had no life, and hopefully Rodgers is able to keep that from happening.

The arm talent is still there from Rodgers, which he showed as he continued to get better during the 2024 season. The quarterback tossed 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while returning from his Achilles injury, and his production should be better in 2025 as he will be two years removed from the injury.

Steelers Will Have To Beat Ravens At Some Point With Aaron Rodgers At The Helm

If Pittsburgh wants to meet its goals of at least winning one playoff game during the 2025 season, it is more than likely that the Steelers will have to take down the Ravens at least once. The two play twice during the regular season, while there is also a chance the two sides could meet up in the first round of the postseason as well. For a while, it felt like Pittsburgh had Baltimore's number, but after the 2024 season, that is no longer the case. The Ravens beat Pittsburgh when the two played in December, and Baltimore won again in the Wild Card Round.

It is hard to imagine the Steelers can have much success with Rodgers. He is still a decent quarterback, but recent results in Pittsburgh to end the season are hard to ignore.

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