The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the more mysterious teams heading into the 2025 NFL season. There have been a ton of changes made all throughout the roster, and it is hard to know what to expect from the team when it comes to a certain level of success. Many fans assume the Steelers will finish year the year right above .500, which has been the case in recent years. However, the ceiling of this team is extremely high, while the floor is also low.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin looks up at the scoreboard during a preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2025.
One of the key additions that was made during the 2025 offseason for the Steelers was bringing in defensive back Jalen Ramsey. He has built a Hall of Fame career while playing cornerback, but he is expected to bounce around a bit on defense for Pittsburgh. He recently joined The Pivot, and he was asked about quarterback Aaron Rodgers and what he brings to the offense for the Steelers. Ramsey spoke about the quarterback's ability to get the best out of people, and the certain level of confidence he carries himself with.
"The confidence that he brings to that whole offense, like everybody around him wants to be great," Ramsey said. "It's kind of like nobody wants to let him down. The best teams that I have been on, that's been how the whole team is. When I was in LA, I didn't want to let AD [Aaron Donald] down. Other guys on the team felt the same way."
It sounds like Ramsey believes that this kind of confidence and leadership is what is necessary when it comes to winning a Super Bowl. He was able to accomplish that feat at the end of the 2021 season when he won Super Bowl LVI with the Los Angeles Rams as they were able to take down the Cincinnati Bengals.
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Steelers' Jalen Ramsey speaks to the media after reporting to training camp in 2025.
Ramsey was younger while he was with the Rams, and he did not want to let a player like Aaron Donald down on the defensive side of the ball. He also went on to mention that the whole team felt the same way about Matthew Stafford, who had been traded to the Rams from the Detroit Lions and was being questioned a ton in the media. That is similar to the situation that Rodgers finds himself in, as he has been scrutinized a ton over the last two years, especially after being released by the New York Jets.
This is the type of motivation that could push a team over the edge. Wanting to win for players like Rodgers, Cam Heyward, and TJ Watt could help make a team perform better, especially while playing under a head coach like Mike Tomlin. The new additions to the team in Pittsburgh combined with the various motivations to play well should help this team outperform expectations.
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Brings More Than Skill To Pittsburgh
Ramsey's comments display just how much a player like Rodgers can change a team. In addition to the confidence and motivation he brings to the Steelers, he also has tons of experience. He also still plays like one of the top 15 quarterbacks in the NFL, which he proved in the second half of the 2024 season. He had to knock some of the rust off as he nearly missed the entire 2023 season with an Achilles injury, but he is now further removed from the injury which means his play should improve.
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Aaron Rodgers practices for the Pittsburgh Steelers during Friday Night Lights in Latrobe, PA.
This Steelers team is only going to go as far as Rodgers can take it, and if he can improve upon his play from 2024 while others around him take a step forward, there is no reason the Steelers can't be considered legitimate contenders in the AFC.
What do you think of Ramsey's remarks? How do you expect the Steelers to perform in 2025? Let us know in the comments below!
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