THE STEELERS ARE LANDING THEIR HIGH SCHOOL CRUSH 23 YEARS LATER

I feel the Pittsburgh Steelers is like that guy that gets his high school dream gal decades later, who is now divorced and has a litter of kids. Even though we knew the hook up was going to happen at some point, finally the wait is over. Yes, Steel City finally gets that Hall of Fame QB they dreamed about after Big Ben Roethlisberger hung up the spikes for good. The Steelers will get Aaron Rodgers at the age of 41 years old, a guy who blew up the New York Jets franchise in the last two seasons with his own personality. Rodgers will get a one year deal from Pittsburgh worth 13.65 million. It’s a relationship between both parties that was neither one’s first choice. In the end they were stuck together like liver sausage and peanut butter. Trying to work out a combo that will not mix well together, like oil and water.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ first choice was trying to convince the LA Rams to give them their starting quarterback, Matthew Stafford. Multiple teams inquired about the availability this season on Stafford. In the end, the Rams were not giving up on the veteran quarterback who helped the Rams win a Superbowl a few seasons back. Then the Steelers tried to re-sign one of their own guys in Justin Fields, who they landed from the Chicago Bears in a trade in the off-season. The Steelers decided Fields was not enough and signed Russell Wilson as well. The 2024 regular season started off with Fields as the starter for the Steelers. Only reason he was the starter was because Wilson was dealing with an injury. After six games, Fields was 4-2 as the Steelers starter. He was looking good behind center. Wilson returned and Fields then was holding the clip board for the rest of the season. The Steelers then low balled Fields, who was a free agent with their offer. Fields took the better offer with the Jets and he will not have to look over his back as he has the keys to the car for the starting job with New York. The Steelers QB room was looking pathetic. They had a Miami Dolphins castoff, back up Skylar Thompson. They re-signed their former back up QB Mason Rudolf who left the Steelers for the Titans for one season. Then they drafted Will Howard in the 6th round in the 2025 NFL draft. Howard was the winning QB for Ohio State, who beat Notre Dame in the National Championship.

Aaron Rodgers’ first season with the Jets, in the very first game of the season, in the 1st quarter in 2023, suffered a season ending injury. On a sack by the Buffalo Bills defensive lineman, Leonard Floyd tackled Rodgers to the ground. He snapped his Achilles tendon and would miss the entire season. In his second season, Rodgers got the Jets head coach fired and the general manager. The Jets were so desperate for a quarterback, they gave into all of Rodgers’ demands while getting his guys on the team. The Jets front office brought in Rodgers’ receivers he has played with and coaches. In year two with the Jets, Rodgers had a 5-12 record as the Jets starter. He completed 63% of his passes for 3,897 passing yards with 28 touchdown passes to 11 interceptions. Rodgers was a cancer to the Jets organization, who once had one of the best defenses in the league and had some play-makers for the offense assembled. All they needed was a quarterback and they got Mr. Darkness, who never blamed himself for anything he did wrong. It was a mess in New York as they are still picking up the pieces right now.

Why did it take the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers to hook up when it was obvious? Some Steelers players thought Rodgers was holding the team hostage and leading them on until he found something better. Rodgers had been interested in playing for the Minnesota Vikings. If Rodgers did suit up for the Vikings, he would have followed in the same footsteps as Brett Farve did when he left the Packers for a bad year with the New York Jets then & helped the Vikings to the playoffs. The Vikings had a great record last year with Sam Darnold having his best year as a starting QB. He replaced the injured rookie, JJ McCarthy, who was injured in preseason and done for the entire year. Rodgers may have felt the Vikings would be a team he could help and at the same time get revenge against the Packers. The Vikings instead are giving the job to McCarthy, who they drafted in the first round in 2024. Rodgers said he did not sign with the Steelers until now for personal reasons. He has said he recently got secretly married and has not mentioned the woman’s name.

Maybe Aaron Rodgers met and married his new woman in the forest in one of his darkness retreats. Terry Bradshaw chimed in that Rodgers should stay in California where he is from, eat tree bark, and whisper to the Gods. Bradshaw, a former Steelers legend quarterback, thinks his former team is making a huge mistake by signing Rodgers. You’re not getting the Rodgers who won the Superbowl a very long time ago for the Packers. You’re not getting the guy who is a 10x Pro-Bowler. Rodgers has won multiple awards for one hell of a football career as he played 20 seasons already. Some think teaming up with Mike Tomlin, the Steelers legendary head coach, would prevent Rodgers becoming a cancer to the locker room. They think Tomlin would not allow Rodgers to ruin his team like the antics he pulled as a Jet the last two seasons. Rodgers is making mandatory practices for the Steelers wearing number 8.

He is in camp with his excuse of his new marriage. He already complained about his new helmet. Safety is sometimes uncomfortable. The Steelers have a solid defense. The Steelers can protect Rodgers better than the Jets. Besides from D.K Metcalf who the Steelers got from Seattle in a trade, who are his play-makers? The Steelers traded their nutcase wide receiver, George Pickens, to Dallas. Pickens had talent and Rodgers could have used him. The Steelers play in the same division as the Bengals and Ravens with top QBs like Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow. The Browns have a defense and have a guy named Myles Garret who wants to add Rodgers to his Halloween cemetery. All the QBs he sacked over his career. That is a tough division Rodgers will be in. The Steelers have made the post-season the last few years, but they are one and done. What changes for the Steelers here? How are they going to get through the AFC gauntlet in general with teams like the Chiefs, Bills, Texans, and Broncos. First you have to find a way through the division before taking on one of those other teams in the AFC. Rodgers will break Brett Farve’s touchdown pass record this season, but the Steelers are probably not going anywhere. Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season. That time may come this season when you picked your poison and it’s Aaron Rodgers. The guy that didn’t know who you were at the prom. The Steelers crush will find out the hard way as Rodgers has been around the block. He may be infected from eating bad tree bark in the forest. They will learn you can not fire up the old 1980’s Camaro and expect a spin with that high school sweetheart in that angel stage. The Steelers are not getting that Packers star QB from back in the day. What’s left of that guy is a broken down old quarterback who gives off bad vibes and will take you down with him. Good luck Steelers, because you will need it this season.