This is the presumed final year in the NFL for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers took his time deciding on where he would sign, after he had been attached to the Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and the Steelers.
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Following the announcement that he would sign with the Steelers, he dropped the bombshell on the “Pat McAfee Show” that he would likely play only 2025, and that’s it.
Rodgers played with the New York Jets in 2024, and despite the team’s 5-12 record, he still had an impressive year. He spent the season behind a shaky offensive line and was sacked 40 times in 2024.
Rodgers being sacked 40 times was good for the ninth-most in the league. Despite that, he still managed to bring in 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
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Rodgers may have put together an impressive year, but he still managed to drop an entire tier in the latest quarterback rankings. According to a report done by Mike Sando of The Athletic, and polling votes, all starting quarterbacks were placed into tiers 1-4.
Rodgers held a Tier 2 rating in 2024, which has since dropped to Tier 3. The explanation for Tier 3 states:
“A Tier 3 quarterback is a legitimate starter but needs a heavier running game and/or defensive component to win. A lower-volume dropback passing offense suits him best.”
Rodgers is in the class with Kyler Murray, Tua Tagovailoa, Trevor Lawrence, Geno Smith, and more. Had he been in Tier 2, he would have been in the same category as Jayden Daniels, Justin Herbert, Jared Goff, C.J. Stroud, and more.
The explanation for Tier 2 quarterbacks is as follows:
“A Tier 2 quarterback can carry his team sometimes but not as consistently. He can handle pure-passing situations in doses and/or possesses other dimensions that are special enough to elevate him above Tier 3. He has a hole or two in his game.”
Rodgers has always been viewed as one of the best quarterbacks in the league, often being talked about as a top 10 signal caller. Now, he is not even top 15 per these new rankings.
In fact, his ranking of starting quarterbacks in No. 16. He is one space behind Murray at No. 15, and one ahead of Tagovailoa at No. 17.
Rodgers can certainly quiet down the noise with an impressive 2025 performance, especially if the Steelers make a deep playoff run. The issue is that the aging veteran is 41 years old, and his game has clearly taken a step back.
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