“Can Aaron Rodgers still play?” NFL coordinator responds with blunt truth

After months of speculation, Aaron Rodgers finally agreed to sign for the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2025 season after his departure from the New York Jets. 

Aaron Rodgers’ Steelers contract details: length, salary

Although the Steelers have yet to officially reveal financial details of Rodgers’ contract, we do know the 41-year-old has signed up for just one year. Journalist Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has claimed the deal is worth less than $20 million. 

In 2022, Rodgers signed a three-year contract extension with the Green Bay Packers worth $150.8 million, with $101.5 million guaranteed, making him the highest paid player in North American sports history on an annual basis at the time (over $50.2 million per year). 

Given the four-time MVP’s advancing years, it is only natural that his best days are behind him, both in terms of earnings and on the field of play. 

Indeed, Rodgers has been questioned plenty in recent years, particularly after moving to the Jets ahead of the 2023 season.

The quarterback ruptured his Achilles tendon on his debut for the franchise and was ruled out until 2024. Last season, he played in all 17 regular season games but only led the Jets to five victories. 12 defeats was comfortably the worst return of his career. 

Why “not perfect” Aaron Rodgers has still got it

After signing for the Steelers, there has already been plenty of debate about whether Pittsburgh have made the right move. Does Rodgers, now in his fifth decade, still have it? One NFL defensive coordinator believes so.

“I asked an NFL defensive coordinator if he thought that Aaron Rodgers was still a good fit and still had something left in the tank,” ESPN reporter Brooke Pryor revealed on SportsCenter on Friday. “And he said, ‘Yeah’. Take a look at his fourth quarter comebacks. Last season, Rodgers had either game-winning drives or fourth-quarter comebacks. The season before that in Green Bay, he had four. So that clutch gene can make up for a lot, even if the fit isn’t perfect.”

Rodgers is expected to practice with his teammates for the first time on Tuesday (June 10) when the Steelers start mandatory minicamp. As fate would have it, he should make his first competitive appearance for his new team against the Jets in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season on September 7. 

The perfect opportunity to prove to his former employers they were wrong to let him go and that he can indeed still play. 

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