The big domino has finally fallen in Pittsburgh, Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers agreeing to a one-year contract Thursday that will become official once he passes a physical. But make no bones about it, there’s a lot of work yet to be done in the Steel City if the home team wants to make serious inroads toward winning a record seventh Super Bowl rather than just maintaining its recent standing as a playoff-caliber team that strikes almost no fear into its postseason competition.
Here are four steps the Steelers ought to strongly consider taking very soon on what they finally hope is their long awaited “Stairway to Seven.”
1. Lock Rodgers and Arthur Smith into a room
Maybe it’s already happened – to one degree or another – in some virtual sense or otherwise. But it’s of paramount importance that the four-time league MVP and his new offensive coordinator quickly get on the same page. (Obviously.)
Yet it’s worth underscoring the point. This isn’t New York, where Rodgers was intimately familiar with OC Nathaniel Hackett and the playbook that awaited when the Jets traded for him two years ago. Rodgers also won’t find several former Packers teammates already on hand as a welcoming committee.
Smith will surely want Rodgers to be comfortable in his new environs. But his philosophy also emphasizes establishing the ground game and a heavy reliance on play-action. Smith also fancies having two and even three tight ends on the field, meaning Rodgers, who’s operated a robust passing attack (with the run game often an afterthought) for most of his sterling career, could routinely be executing plays with one wideout deployed downfield.
Rodgers is 41. Smith is 43. They oughta get a six-pack – Smith was known to have a beer with his players after a victory when he was the Atlanta Falcons’ head coach – and/or maybe some of the fine bourbon Rodgers tends to favor and start hashing out a plan that can work for both of them and the Steelers at large. (Obviously.) Maybe they even bunk together when the team relocates to Latrobe, Pa., this summer for training camp. But after a disastrous 2024 campaign − the worst full season of his 20-year career − Rodgers can hardly afford to be a square peg in a round offensive hole. Conversely, Smith can’t allow himself to be drawn into another dysfunctional relationship – which he had with Russell Wilson last season, according to reports – with his new QB1. And, frankly, running the ball shortens games, keeps the defense fresh and should lighten the burden on Rodgers − which should be a welcome byproduct given his age and all the physical abuse he absorbed last year for a Jets team that threw the ball way too often … and that imbalance was predictive of their 5-12 record.
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2. Import another weapon
The Steelers knew what they were doing when they jettisoned WR George Pickens last month – and hard to see a scenario where he would have jelled well with Rodgers. ‘That would have been a disaster,’ former New York Giants personnel executive Marc Ross told USA TODAY Sports recently.
Still, it certainly seems like Pittsburgh could use one more bona fide weapon aside from WR DK Metcalf, who was acquired earlier this offseason, but is typically a player who works well down the boundary and often relies on his physical prowess to overpower or blow past defensive backs. Yet, last year anyway, Rodgers had become a player who wants to distribute the ball quickly and seemed more comfortable working the hashes – which could mean more judicious targeting of Metcalf, whom he’s tried to become acclimated with this spring.
Though neither can realistically be classified as a game breaker, TE Pat Freiermuth and slot WR Calvin Austin III could find themselves frequently in Rodgers’ crosshairs, assuming both conform to Rodgers’ exact route standards. WR Roman Wilson might be that game breaker – based on his work at the University of Michigan – but after playing only five snaps in an injury-aborted rookie year, he remains an X-factor.
It’s a long way of saying that if the Steelers are going to cast their lot with Rodgers in 2025, then they should continue casting a wider net. Maybe that means brining in an experienced, reliable receiver like Keenan Allen or Amari Cooper, both currently free agents. Maybe it means ramping up talks with the Miami Dolphins to bring over TE Jonnu Smith, a favorite of Smith’s in Tennessee and Atlanta, as he enters the final year of his contract. Or perhaps GM Omar Khan calls the Jets and inquiries about WR Allen Lazard, who’s also got a year remaining on his deal, and considers acquiring a veteran capable of splash plays and offers the benefit of having already earned Rodgers’ hard-to-gain trust.
But standing pat in this circumstance just doesn’t cut it.
3. Get Kaleb Johnson ready
A third-round pick this year out of Iowa, Johnson led the Big Ten with 1,537 rushing yards and 23 total touchdowns in 2024. But the presumed replacement of Najee Harris as Pittsburgh’s lead back wasn’t much of a receiver in college. Maybe that won’t be a major hindrance in the NFL given the presence of third-down specialist Jaylen Warren, who’s averaged about 45 catches during his three NFL seasons in Pittsburgh. But if Johnson wants to be on the field in high-leverage situations, he needs to be ready to catch the ball and, far more importantly, must be prepared to protect Rodgers. Otherwise, he’s going to find himself standing next to Arthur Smith and head coach Mike Tomlin quite often when the stakes are highest.
4. Pay T.J. Watt already
Rodgers is Pittsburgh’s newest player. Watt remains the Steelers’ best player. He’s also in need of an extension with one year to go on his existing deal, one that now ranks seventh (in terms of average annual salary) among edge rushers − though fat chance you’re going to find six sack masters better than four-time All-Pro and single-season sack record holder. Aside from being cryptic on social media, Watt hasn’t said much this offseason – and his situation has largely been overshadowed with the spotlight trained on the Steelers’ pursuit of Rodgers. But it’s time for Pittsburgh to give Watt the raise he deserves given he’s averaging $28 million annually while division rival Myles Garrett’s new four-year mega-pact comes in at $160 million.
Good, bad or indifferent, Rodgers is going to bring a certain level of distraction to this team. The Steelers shouldn’t invite any further ones, especially as it pertains to rewarding one of the best and most loyal soldiers in franchise history at a time when all the attention is going to a hired gun.
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