NFL Defensive Coordinator Comes After Steelers' Aaron Rodgers For Completely Losing His "Magic"

The Pittsburgh Steelers were fully aware in the 2025 offseason that bringing in Aaron Rodgers to be the team's starting quarterback was unlikely to spark some kind of MVP run for the veteran. His time spent with the New York Jets will be a two-year period that ends up getting lost when fans discuss his career as one of the all-time greats. Despite that, he helped lead his third (and presumably final) franchise to an AFC North victory and postseason appearance in 2025. Now, he has decided to return to give it one more shot at making a deep run in the playoffs, something that the Steel City is desperate for.

Despite the fact that he is 42 years old, the mind has not faded from the future Hall of Fame signal-caller. He will be able to beat defenses off of intuition alone at times; however, the bigger concern is how his body will handle getting hit this late in his career. During his first year with the Steelers, he ended up with a broken wrist, but it only forced him to miss one game.

The Athletic publishes a quarterback rankings and tiers list every year once the regular season is approaching. Rodgers found himself in the third tier for the second year in a row after being in the second in 2024, and first from 2014 to 2023. Insider Mike Sando detailed his discussions that led to this, and Pittsburgh's man under center actually caught a little bit of heat.

"He’s a 3 at best," a defensive coordinator told The Athletic. "He can still throw it. I love Aaron. He’s a tough motherf***er, but he holds the ball too long and lacks the same mobility. They come out against Buffalo, one-score game, turnover for a touchdown. He did not get rid of the ball on time. He is not able to make that magic like he used to."

This assessment is not something that can necessarily be argued. Rodgers had great moments in 2025, but also made mistakes that he likely wouldn't have made just a few years ago. A defensive coach commented on the fact that the Steelers' setup on offense hurt the signal-caller during his first year in Pittsburgh.

"The offensive scheme was limiting last year," a defensive coach said. "His mobility is not great, but as a dropback passer and one of those guys you do not want to face in two-minute, if he has pieces around him, he can still go win."

There were some slight compliments there, as Rodgers' experience and brain can make him a threat when NFL defenses are tiring out in the fourth quarter; however, another contributor to the discussion implied that Rodgers can be a bit of a baby.

"He’s a 3 that can go to a 2," another defensive coach said in terms of tiers. "He doesn’t want to get hit. He’s got a little soccer flop in him. But he can still beat you."

Fans likely remember in Week 17 when Rodgers seemed to have no interest in being on the wrong side of history as he quickly threw the ball away whenever Myles Garrett was approaching to complete a record-setting sack.

There was one coach, however, who came to Rodgers' rescue a little bit. In a random name drop, the individual brought up Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was two spots in front of the Steelers' signal-caller on the list.

"Who would you rather have running your offense, Jalen Hurts or Aaron Rodgers?" another defensive coordinator asked rhetorically.

There is going to continue to be a lot of criticism surrounding Rodgers. Pittsburgh's offense still had inept moments back in 2025, so the hope is that the unit will completely turn around with Mike McCarthy calling the plays.

Steelers Thrilled To Have Rodgers Back For A Second Season

Pittsburgh is not in the business of tanking or having a down year. In the front office's mind, it makes no sense to waste a season not trying to win. The quarterback room may have looked extremely shaky and inexperienced for the most part if Rodgers hadn't decided to come back. Now, the legend will do everything in his power to bring the organization back to postseason relevancy.

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