It certainly looks as if the New York Jets will end the QB Aaron Rodgers experiment this offseason. And with the belief that the former Super Bowl MVP will be a free agent comes the inevitable rumors surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers and Rodgers.
On one hand, Rodgers’ career numbers speak for themselves. He’s thrown for 503 career touchdowns and 62,952 yards while completing 65.1 percent of his passes. Who wouldn’t want a quarterback with those kinds of stats?
But it’s all the baggage that comes along with Rodgers that gives people pause. Former NFL OL Alex Boone can’t see Aaron Rodgers co-existing with Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin because of those issues.
“You think Mike Tomlin is going to put up with that shit?” Boone asked on Monday’s episode of The OLine Committee podcast. “Have you fucking met Mike Tomlin? ‘You’re in Egypt? Cool. Don’t fucking come back.’ Click. No, he’s not fucking going there.”
Yes, Mike Tomlin has a reputation as a player’s coach. But there’s a drastic difference between guys loving playing for you and allowing players to walk all over you. It’s quite apparent that Aaron Rodgers wants his own way in terms of both personnel and offensive scheme. And then there’s the matter of his “darkness retreats.” Boone obviously thinks Tomlin would not appreciate his starting quarterback going off on his own on some mystical expedition rather than focusing on improving the football team.
Because, regardless of recent playoff struggles, Mike Tomlin wants every single player on the roster pulling their weight toward a common goal. And Tomlin would likely question whether Aaron Rodgers is fully committed to improving the Steelers.
So, if you think Mike Tomlin is suddenly going to reverse course on everything we’ve seen in recent years to accommodate a 41-year-0ld Rodgers, I may have to echo Boone’s question “Have you f****** met Mike Tomlin?”
After all, it was just after the regular season came to a close that Mike DeCourcy talked about his belief that Mike Tomlin doesn’t want superstar coordinators that would overshadow him. How much more would Aaron Rodgers and his requested entourage of coaches and players overshadow Tomlin?
Now, there are certainly quarterbacks who would be worth that headache and needed humbling because they would convert the Steelers into instant contenders. At one point, Aaron Rodgers would have been on that list. But after a 5-12 season with the Jets, and Week 1 of the 2025 season being only two years after Rodgers tore his Achilles’ tendon, he’s no longer among the elite of the NFL.
The Steelers want to get over the hump in the playoffs. It has greatly tarnished Mike Tomlin’s reputation among Steelers fans. Aaron Rodgers would have been a major boost to the Steelers’ efforts not that long ago, but it’s hard to see the two of them working together successfully, both on and off the field.
