The Pittsburgh Steelers were defeated 30-6 by the Houston Texans in the most significant playoff blowout loss for the team in recent memory. The offense only mustered 175 total yards. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers played arguably his worst game as a Steeler, looking slow and jittery in the pocket. The defense fought hard, but ran out of gas in the end. The game was tied 7-6 going into the fourth quarter, however, a Woody Marks touchdown and two defensive scores for the Texans drove the Steelers out of the playoffs.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf (4) during a postseason matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans.
Rodgers' play has been a roller coaster this season. He started the year off hot with four touchdown passes against his former team, the New York Jets, in Week 1. However, the next game, he threw two interceptions and scored only 17 points along with the Steelers' offense. Rodgers' play has sort of followed that trajectory; he was either pretty good or really bad on a weekly basis. He finished the season with 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns to seven interceptions, which is respectable, but you need to be even more efficient heading into the playoffs. It's been said this is likely Rodgers' last season, but he hasn't made his decision yet.
Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette discussed the Steelers and Rodgers in his recent chat transcript, and believes there's really only two ways to go about the situation.
"They should draft [a receiver] in the first round to pair with [DK] Metcalf. And then maybe another in the middle rounds because we have no idea if Roman Wilson will develop into a competent player," Fittipaldo suggested. "As for Rodgers, if he wants to come back, the Steelers should strongly consider it. Unless they want to start a rebuild and commit to being a bad team with [Mason] Rudolph or [Will] Howard as the QB, then Rodgers makes the most sense. They are not going to land a QB picking in the low 20s."
Although they likely need it, the Steelers are not in the best position to rebuild. They have too many heavy contracts and aging vets whose trade value has diminished. Unless they want to receive no draft capital for any of their players, they have to keep their veterans.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers defense huddles before the snap against the Minnesota Vikings at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland.
The Steelers have seemingly been delaying the long, inevitable rebuild since veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season.
Steelers Cannot Bring Rodgers Back
If the Steelers want to move forward as a franchise, they must let Rodgers walk. Rodgers signed with the team late last offseason and will likely wait a long time to make his decision this year once again. Many pundits feel the Steelers must go younger at the quarterback position. The cycle of veteran quarterbacks has proven unsuccessful. The Steelers tried drafting a first-round quarterback in Kenny Pickett back in 2022, but he was traded after just two seasons. The Steelers pick 21st in the 2026 NFL Draft, the exact pick as last season. With this being a weak quarterback class, they are unlikely to draft one in the first round. They would likely need to acquire one via trade or free agency once again. There are some intriguing names, like Malik Willis in free agency, and Mac Jones, who will likely be available for trade. While these guys may not be needle movers, they are guys you can build around. They have both also shown good development under their offensive guru coaches.
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Patriots' Mac Jones has been named a potential replacement for the Steelers' Aaron Rodgers.
Willis would be the cheaper option between the two. Jones would likely cost the team a late day two, to early day three pick. While Willis is the flashier player, Jones has had a solid season. He led the New England Patriots to the playoffs in his rookie season and he's been a solid backup for the San Francisco 49ers in 2025. No matter who the team brings in however, they will likely have a solid supporting cast. The Steelers' offensive line is on the horizon, and they are most certainly going to add a wide receiver to the roster.
What do you think? Should the Steelers bring Rodgers back for one last run? Should they move on to the listed younger, cheaper options? Let us know in the comments.
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