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With the football world predicting what Pittsburgh Steelers' Aaron Rodgers can bring to his new team after a few disappointing seasons with the New York Jets, some people wonder about his long-term future. While some don't know for sure if Rodgers is an upgrade for the Steelers over last year's starter in Russell Wilson, insider Mike DeFabo of The Athletic speculates on a likely time ahead.
Though Rodgers has been a highly successful player with the Green Bay Packers for a plethora of seasons, it seems his performance has dwindled now at 41 years old. DeFabo would say in his recent column that the “most likely” outcome is that Rodgers plays to an average level and the team drafts a quarterback in the first round in the 2026 NFL Draft.
“By far the most likely scenario is that Rodgers plays this season in Pittsburgh at about a middle-of-the-road level, and then the Steelers draft a rookie QB in the first round in 2026,” DeFabo wrote. “Though it’s unlikely Rodgers will stick around for a second season, I wouldn’t completely rule it out.”
“He’d need to play well enough to push the Steelers out of position to draft a top QB, the team would need to be wishy-washy about its options, and Rodgers would need to commit immediately,” DeFabo continued. “I’m not sure I see all those things happening, but you never know.”
Real question to how much Aaron Rodgers ‘raises the ceiling' of Steelers
Ever since the Steelers and Rodgers finally agreed to a contract, there has been massive speculation among fans about how high the veteran can take this team. After finishing 10-7, which put them second in the AFC North, DeFabo would even say that he can see another season where they win nine or 10 games.
“Some believe Rodgers’ signing turned the Steelers into a Super Bowl contender overnight,” DeFabo wrote. “Others think this year will be a complete disaster. I predict something right in the middle. If the defense can play at a top-10 level (as it has in each of the past three seasons) and the investments in the offense line help the running game improve, I see the Steelers as a nine- or 10-win team that will be fighting in the final weeks of the season to qualify for the playoffs.”
However, he would be less confident that if it came to it, Rodgers could ‘raise the ceiling enough' to where he can battle closely with Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, or even Lamar Jackson. Still, DeFabo has them as a borderline playoff contender, comparable to the Houston Texans or the Los Angeles Chargers, among others.
At any rate, Pittsburgh looks to prove people wrong as they open the season on Sunday, Sept. 7, and funny enough, it's against Rodgers' former team in the Jets.
