Call it a marriage of convenience.
The Steelers was looking for a veteran quarterback who can win now and Aaron Rodger was looking for a team that he thought would be a good fit for him.
So after spending the offseason deciding whether he wants to play, Rodgers agreed to a one year contract with the Steelers at age 41.
It is a gamble for both sides. The Steelers decided not to keep Russell Wilson and Justin Fields and signed Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson and drafted Will Howard on the sixth round. But they preferred to go with Rodgers, who kept them dangling the whole off season.
Rodgers has to prove he has something left in the tank. Last year, he threw for 3897 yards while completing 63 per cent of his passes and throwing 28 touchdown passes and 11 picks.
But the Jets finished 5-12 and the Steelers are looking for Rodgers to get them in the playoffs and win at least a playoff game. Rodgers will be 42 in December and Tom Brady is the only quarterback to win a playoff game at that age.
Coach Mike Tomlin, who wanted to bring in Rodgers, has never had a losing season but hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016, They’ve made the playoffs four of the last five seasons but have lost their first playoff game each year.
Meanwhile, the Steeler fans, spoiled by watching their team win six Super Bowls, are getting frustrated with many calling for the Steelers to fire Tomlin.
But the Steelers haven’t fired a coach since 1968 and have had just three coaches since 1969 — Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Tomlin. Art Rooney II, the son of Dan Rooney and grandson of team founder Art Rooney Sr., is sticking with Tomlin.
And Tomlin is betting on Rodgers being the answer for at least one year even though the Steelers are in the same division with Baltimore and Cincinnati. Tomlin and the Steelers will find out this year if he made a good bet.
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