Among the Pittsburgh Steelers’ flurry of offseason acquisitions, none were bigger than signing quarterback Aaron Rodgers to a one-year contract.
The four-time MVP is coming off an eventful, yet largely unsuccessful two-year run with the New York Jets. After going down with a season-ending Achilles injury just four snaps into Week 1 of the 2023 season, Rodgers returned as Gang Green’s starter in 2024 and had an inconsistent campaign.
The 41-year-old’s 63.0% completion percentage was his lowest since 2019 (excluding 2023) and he finished with 3,897 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, good for a 90.5 passer rating. Most importantly, Rodgers’ Jets went just 5-12, which was the 10-time Pro Bowler’s worst mark of his career.
Now, Rodgers has fallen off ESPN’s annual top-10 quarterback rankings, following a survey of league executives, coaches and scouts. Rodgers entered the 2024 campaign eighth on the list and is now not only out of the top-10, but isn’t even an honorable mention, though he is among six players “also receiving votes.”
“Rodgers proved he could still play at age 40 and coming off an Achilles injury, with rather impressive looking traditional numbers (3,897 yards, 28 TD, 11 INT) and a handful of vintage Rodgers performances,” the ESPN article said. “But he also finished 25th in QBR and the Jets were finished by October, so a place outside the top 10 is more than appropriate for the future Hall of Famer. Rodgers signed a one-year, $13.65 million contract with the Steelers in June, and said 2025 would likely be his final NFL season.”
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Despite his passable numbers in 2024, it’s somewhat of a surprise that the Super Bowl XLV MVP even received a top-10 vote. With 2025 perhaps being his swan song however, and two-time Pro Bowl wideout D.K. Metcalf and 2024 Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith as new aerial weapons, Rodgers should have one last chance to get back into the tier of top dozen or so NFL signal-callers.
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