A recent quarterback ranking from FOX Sports has drawn sharp reactions among Pittsburgh Steelers fans after placing veteran Aaron Rodgers in the same group as several far less accomplished passers.
Analyst Steven Ruiz slotted Rodgers into a tier labeled “Good Enough To Start,” grouping him with Geno Smith, Tyler Shough and Bryce Young.
“Despite the large gap in age and accolades, Bryce Young and Aaron Rodgers are largely the same players at this point in their respective careers,” Ruiz wrote.
“Neither is comfortable throwing to the middle of the field, which can hamstring their offenses, but both make up for it with impressive touch on vertical, perimeter throws. Both look physically overwhelmed at times.”
Rodgers turns 43 in December. Age is an obvious factor at this stage of his career, yet many around the Steelers organization still see him as a clear cut above the other names in that grouping.
Last season he threw for 3,322 yards with 24 touchdowns and only seven interceptions while completing 65.7 percent of his attempts.
Those numbers helped Pittsburgh capture the AFC North title before a home wild-card loss to the Houston Texans ended the year.
Rodgers has been in the league since 2005. He spent the bulk of his prime with the Green Bay Packers, had a brief stop with the New York Jets and now finds himself in Pittsburgh.
His regular-season totals stand at 527 touchdown passes and 66,274 yards. He is a four-time NFL Most Valuable Player and a lock for the Hall of Fame once he hangs it up.
Playoff success has been harder to come by lately. Rodgers has not won a postseason game since the 2020 season, and the Steelers themselves have not recorded a playoff victory since 2016.
The current chapter carries an extra layer of history. Head coach Mike McCarthy and Rodgers won Super Bowl XLV together with Green Bay, beating Pittsburgh in that game.
Rodgers has described the reunion as a full-circle moment and has said he plans to retire after the coming season.
“Honestly, sitting in the first 8 o’clock meeting on Monday took me back to being a 22-year-old kid sitting in Green Bay,” Rodgers said. “Listening to Mike’s first meeting in 2006. It’s fun. I mean, it’s like ‘pinch me’ moments. It’s been happening the last few days, getting to sit next to [offensive line coach] James Campen in the meetings is fun. [Assistant offensive line coach] Jahri Evans was a teammate of mine. He’s on his staff now as a Hall of Famer — should be a Hall of Famer. That’s pretty cool too. A lot of connections.”
Pittsburgh opens the 2026 season against the Atlanta Falcons.
Few would still call Rodgers an elite quarterback at this point in his career. Most observers, however, expect him to post stronger numbers this fall than Smith, Shough or Young.
How the Steelers offense looks around him will be one of the more watched storylines of the year.
