Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers Tumbles Down Annual Preseason Quarterback Rankings

The NFL is adjusting its expectations for Aaron Rodgers entering his 21st season.

Rodgers joins the Pittsburgh Steelers at what could be the end of his decorated career. The 10-time Pro Bowler hopes to return to the playoffs, but people within the league no longer perceive the 41-year-old as a superstar gunslinger.

The Athletic’s Mike Sando published the annual quarterback tier rankings on Monday. Fifty coaches and executives graded each quarterback among five tiers, with Tier 1 representing the best of the best.

Rodgers fell below the second tier for the first time since the endeavor began in 2014. He slipped into the third tier with a 2.8 average vote that ranks 16th among all quarterbacks. Sando noted that he slipped further than any signal-caller by a wide margin.

Only one voter assigned Rodgers to Tier 1. He received 16 Tier 2 votes, 27 for Tier 3 and six for Tier 4. Last year, 23 participants still considered him a first-tier quarterback following a season-ending Achilles tear.

Anonymous respondents wondered how Rodgers would fare in Pittsburgh. One defensive coach questioned if he has the right surrounding pieces to get the most out of his skill set.

“Aaron has had good route runners around him when he was at his best,” the coach said. “I don’t know who the route runner is on that team. (DK) Metcalf is like a bully, jump-ball, kill-you-in-the-red-zone guy. Truthfully, I have no idea how that works there.”

Rodgers may be a long shot to secure his fifth MVP, but the Steelers don’t necessarily need that version of the future Hall of Famer to flourish. One offensive coach opined that Rodgers can still protect the football and fire some touchdowns. Another former head coach believes Rodgers has enough left in the tank if he can adapt and accept his limitations.

“He can still see, and he can still fit balls in there,” the coach said. “He can’t be dynamic like he was — scrambling, avoiding the rush and throwing it 60 yards down the field — but I still think he can play.”

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