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The Pittsburgh Steelers hired Aaron Rodgers to salvage a couple of years of mediocre play at quarterback, taking a gamble on the then 41-year-old.
But there were almost no problems as the Steelers were back in the playoffs as Mike Tomlin once again finished above .500.
However, Rodgers, like last year, is playing the waiting game and remains a free agent.
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Aaron Rodgers (8) of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on during the national anthem before an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium on January 4, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
(Michael Owens/Getty Images)
It seems very likely that Rodgers will return to Pittsburgh for a 22nd NFL season, and one Steelers legend believes the team doesn’t really have many other answers.
“When you have no alternative, then you have no choice,” Jerome Bettis told Pak Gazette Digital. And I think there are some players that are allowed a little more freedom than others, and Aaron Rodgers is one of them, especially when you’re limited from a quarterback perspective, in terms of depth and experience, right?”
Bettis, however, actually sees something positive in Rodgers’ wait-and-see attitude.
“There’s an opportunity for our number two to get a lot of reps, a lot of opportunities, right? So there are some positives to this, because you’re allowing the young guys to have the opportunity to run the offense and learn it as they go.”
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin walks off the field with Aaron Rodgers (8) of the Pittsburgh Steelers after a 29-24 victory against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. The game took place in Detroit, Michigan on December 21, 2025. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
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Bettis “of course” understands that players might be upset waiting for their starting quarterback and wants some “continuity” in the locker room.
“I was wondering, what’s going on? What are we doing? But now that you’ve gone through it, you know the value, you know Aaron is a team player, right? He understands the culture. So now it’s not a big concern,” Bettis continued.
The Steelers, for the most part, have had fairly consistent quarterback play for two decades, but that has come at the expense of other aspects, Bettis said. With several holes to fill, Bettis is teaming up with The Athletic and its NFL Draft guide, “The Beast,” and will meet with Steelers fans in Pittsburgh to discuss what they want in this month’s NFL Draft, which will be held in Pittsburgh.
“They can look at players that they don’t know, players that maybe are talked about, that they don’t have any real knowledge of. Now they’re getting really detailed information on some of the young guys that they’re going to support for the next 10 or 15 years,” Bettis said. “You can’t possibly know much about all of these guys, and that’s why The Beast is going to be so helpful to fans, so they have an up-to-date understanding of who that young, young man is that’s possibly being drafted…
Running back Jerome Bettis #36 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs with the ball against the Denver Broncos during the 1997 season AFC Championship game at Three Rivers Stadium on January 11, 1998 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Broncos defeated the Steelers 24-21. (George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
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“They’ve let the other pieces deteriorate in the sense that the running game had problems, the receivers had problems. So they have to do a lot to help the quarterback,” Bettis said, adding that defensive help is also needed. “And, I mean, getting the receivers, getting help from the offensive line, figuring out the running back position. They’ve got to do some things before they get to the quarterback, because right now, the other pieces aren’t good enough.”
