Inside Coverage: Will Aaron Rodgers move the needle for the Pittsburgh Steelers?

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4 hours ago

Will Aaron Rodgers move the needle for the Pittsburgh Steelers?
That's the question Frank Schwab, Charles Robinson and Jason Fitz discussed on the latest episode of the "Inside Coverage" podcast.
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Aaron Rodgers' move to the Pittsburgh Steelers was discussed in depth, and the panel had nuanced views on whether he 'moves the needle' for the team.
Charles Robinson's take: "If we're getting a healthy version of Aaron Rodgers, it's absolutely an upgrade over what the Steelers had with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields."
Robinson emphasizes that Rodgers would provide much-needed "certainty inside the franchise" — ending the period of juggling QBs and clearing up the offensive situation. Rodgers does move the needle for Pittsburgh, according to Robinson, primarily by bringing clarity and raising the floor at quarterback, which gives the Steelers a real shot to put their best foot forward.
"It gives the Steelers a chance to put their best foot forward come to training camp," Robinson said.
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Frank Schwab's take: He isn't convince. Schwab points out the long odds for 42-year-old quarterbacks succeeding in the NFL, noting that only Tom Brady has really defied the age curve. Schwab says he doesn't think it 'moves the needle,' since history suggests quarterbacks at Rodgers' age simply don't perform at a high level, and he's not willing to bet Rodgers will be the next exception. He predicts that while the Steelers might still be fine — 'They're never terrible,' he said. — the big splash likely results in a lot of hype without a real leap, maybe ending up as an 8-8-1 team.
"The age curve at quarterback is real," he explained. "Every other quarterback other than Tom Brady in NFL history has been either washed or retired. And I don't know that I'm willing to bet on Aaron Rodgers being the second dude."
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Jason Fitz's take: He thinks the move will generate plenty of conversation (good or bad), but doesn't expect it to actually push the Steelers over the top or make them true contenders. He expects Pittsburgh might start hot but likely finishes cold, so he doesn't see it as a true needle-mover in terms of the team's ceiling.
'I don't think it actually ends up moving the needle at all for Pittsburgh," Fitz said. "I just don't think it gets Pittsburgh over the top.'
That's what they think. What about you?
To hear more NFL discussions, tune into Inside Coverage on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.
(This article is a summation of a discussion from the Inside Coverage Podcast, written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy.)