Aaron Rodgers' Former Teammate Absolutely Trashes Steelers' Playoff Hopes: "The Body Is Tired"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have brought in a veteran to be the starting quarterback for the second consecutive season. However, this time around it is four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers as he looks to end his career on a high note in Pittsburgh. He is coming off of two rough seasons with the New York Jets, although a lot of the struggles can be attributed to his Achilles injury that he suffered in 2023 as well as the general dysfunction of the organization. 

A good portion of the fan base in Pittsburgh is not very happy with the signing of Rodgers. Rather than trying to find a solution at the future of the quarterback position, the franchise went ahead and got a temporary fix. 

The organization is still trying to "win now", although most fans don't see a world where that happens with Rodgers under center. One of his former teammates, Brady Poppinga, feels the same way. He recently went on Infinity Sports Network, and he shared what he saw from his former quarterback during the 2024 season with the Jets.

"I went to the Jets-Patriots game last year, and the thing that was sticking out about Aaron that was different was simply, it's almost this unwillingness, I wouldn't say unwillingness because he's tough, it's almost like the body is tired and doesn't want to take the hit." Poppinga said. "There's a lot of flinching. I would say his vision is going from reading the field to the rush, which isn't usually normal for high-level quarterbacks. High-level quarterbacks are kind of able to feel the rush and then they're able to keep their eyes downfield."

Poppinga played inside linebacker for the Green Bay Packers from 2005 through 2010. Both players were drafted by Green Bay in 2005, so it is fair to assume the two were decently close throughout their six seasons together with the Packers. Poppinga could see some clear differences in his former quarterback during his time with the Jets in 2024, and it is making him doubt whether or not he can take a team to the postseason in 2025.

Poppinga thought Rodgers' body looked tired when he saw him play, and he probably did. The quarterback was bouncing back from a serious Achilles injury, and it was probably difficult to stay motivated while playing for the Jets who were always struggling. 

The head coach got fired at the beginning of the year, and there was always something going on within that organization. Poppinga doesn't believe things will change in Pittsburgh, as he expects Rodgers and the Steelers to miss the playoffs.

"It's not that he's being weak, it's not that he's not tough." Poppinga said. "It's just you're getting tired. Tom Brady went through it. Brett Favre went through it. Everybody goes through it in the game of football. The problem with that is that, for over 17 games, he's not going to be able to play at a caliber that's gonna drive them to be playoff contenders."

Rodgers will probably get tired as the season goes along, and he might struggle in some games. Pittsburgh has an early bye-week which makes things especially difficult, but Rodgers doesn't need to be a superhero for Pittsburgh to win games. The group has one of the better defenses in the league, what should be a good group at running back, and an absolute monster at wide receiver. 

Steelers' Arthur Smith Can Keep Aaron Rodgers Fresh Throughout The Season

Pittsburgh has a new look running back room with rookie Kaleb Johnson and veteran Kenneth Gainwell joining Jaylen Warren. The group should be effective out of the backfield, which means Pittsburgh could lean on the run early on in the season. This could hopefully keep Rodgers fresh for when the second half of the season rolls around, which might help Pittsburgh make a push for the playoffs.

What do you think about the comments from Poppinga? Let us know in the comments below!

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