The Pittsburgh Steelers opted for an Aaron Rodgers-or-bust strategy this offseason as the team patiently waited for the future Hall of Famer to accept their offer. The Steelers refrained from signing a starting quarterback during free agency.

Then they held off on taking a passer in the draft until the sixth round. Finally, that patience paid off, and Rodgers agreed to a one-year deal with the team. But the addition of the four-time MVP doesn’t impress Dan Orlovsky.

The former player turned talking head was discussing which teams boast the most offensive talent in the AFC on the Pat McAfee Show and concluded that the Steelers fall short.

“As far as Pittsburgh goes, you’ve got two guys in the pass game that you really have to focus on. And then everyone else is like, OK, we’re gonna make you beat us,” Orlovsky said per NFL on ESPN.

He then added a painful declaration for Pittsburgh fans. “The Broncos are gonna be better than the Steelers.”

Can Aaron Rodgers deliver a vintage season for the Steelers?

Jun 10, 2025; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) drops back to pass during minicamp at their South Side facility.
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Both Denver and Pittsburgh finished the 2024 season with 10-7 records. Both teams made the playoffs and lost in the Wild Card round. And neither team has had any postseason success this decade as the Steelers last won a playoff game in 2016, while the Broncos’ last victory came a year earlier, in 2015.

Yet while Denver is building around a young franchise quarterback in Bo Nix, who’s received rave reviews heading into his second season, the Steelers are hoping Rodgers has gas left in the tank as he embarks on his 21st NFL campaign.

Opinions on the Rodgers signing vary greatly as some believe the veteran QB makes the Steelers a Super Bowl contender, while others don’t believe he’s a significant upgrade over Russell Wilson.

Pittsburgh jettisoned both Wilson and Justin Fields after they combined to lead the team to a 10-7 record. The Steelers also moved on from George Pickens, trading the mercurial wideout to the Dallas Cowboys this offseason.

So presumably, the “two guys in the pass game” Orlovsky believes warrant attention are DK Metcalf, who arrived through a trade with the Seattle Seahawks, and… Pat Freiermuth? The other options are Robert Woods, Calvin Austin III, Scotty Miller, Roman Wilson and Ben Skowronek. Not exactly an intimidating receivers room.

Still, Rodgers has been able to elevate the play of his wideouts in the past. Steelers fans are hoping he can do it again in his age-41 season.