Colin Cowherd said Thursday that Aaron Rodgers does not receive enough credit for changing the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense after years of struggles.
“The Steelers offense was broken before Aaron Rodgers got there. This was not a fixer-upper. This house was a rehab, tear down and start over,” Cowherd said on FS1’s “The Herd.”
Cowherd has long criticized Pittsburgh’s quarterback planning since Ben Roethlisberger retired. He argued the four-time MVP still improved a unit that ranked near the bottom of the league for much of the past decade.
The Steelers scored 17.9 points per game in 2023, ranking 28th in the NFL. They improved to 22.4 points per game and 16th in the league in 2024 with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields sharing snaps.
Rodgers signed with Pittsburgh before the 2025 season. The team scored 23.4 points per game that year, finishing 15th, and went 10-7 to win the AFC North and reach the playoffs.
Rodgers completed 327 of 498 passes for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 16 games. His 94.8 passer rating and low interception rate marked a step forward from recent Pittsburgh passing attacks.
The 42-year-old returned for 2026 on a one-year deal and is reunited with head coach Mike McCarthy, who coached him for 13 seasons in Green Bay. McCarthy has said the offense was built around Rodgers’ experience.
Pittsburgh opened the season with a 20-13 win over Atlanta. Rodgers went 24 of 40 for 221 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions. The offense managed only 20 points and averaged 5.5 yards per completion.
Critics pointed to the lack of big plays and heavy use of running backs and tight ends. Cowherd defended the approach, noting that half of Rodgers’ targets in Week 1 went to those positions.
Cowherd said Rodgers is smart to check the ball down early in the season when offensive lines typically struggle. He added that the veteran has done about as much as could be expected given the roster he inherited.
Rodgers pushed back against target-share talk after the opener. He said the ball goes to the open player and that balance happens naturally rather than by design.
The Steelers visit the New England Patriots on Sunday. Pittsburgh is 1-0 and faces questions about whether the offense can become more explosive under McCarthy.
Cowherd has repeatedly said the Steelers treated the quarterback position with little urgency for years. He maintains Rodgers turned a dysfunctional unit into a functional one even if the results remain modest.
Rodgers has announced that 2026 will be his final NFL season. At 42 he remains the oldest starting quarterback in the league and continues to draw both praise and scrutiny for his style of play.
