There aren’t a lot of NFL pundits, if any, who think the Pittsburgh Steelers could make a deep playoff run this month. Not too many have predicted the Steelers to even beat the Houston Texans at home in the AFC wild card round. But there’s one reason the Steelers should have hope — veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
At least that’s what one NFL executive suggested while speaking to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe this week.
“(Rodgers) in the playoffs is always scary, and it started (against Baltimore) — just the look in his eyes,” an executive told Howe.
With that look, Rodgers led the Steelers on two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 18. That wasn’t long after Pittsburgh went six consecutive quarters without reaching the end zone.
The stretch set a new record for longest time a Rodgers-led offense went without scoring a touchdown.
But in the fourth quarter, Rodgers completed 11 of 14 passes for 134 yards. His 26-yard strike to Calvin Austin III stood up as the game’s winning score to clinch the AFC North.
Behind that win, the Steelers will host the Texans in the postseason on Monday, January 12. It will be Rodgers’s first playoff game since 2021 and first with Pittsburgh.
Can Aaron Rodgers Lead Steelers to Upset Playoff Victory?
The Steelers have other elite players, including great leaders. But it’s not a secret that Rodgers is a significant reason why the team could surprise any opponent it plays this postseason.
His leadership and big-game experience is why the Steelers waited until June to sign Rodgers.
“As I’ve said multiple times here in recent weeks, this was the vision in the spring when we pursued him. That’s why you do business with a 41, 42-year-old guy,” Tomlin said of Rodgers after the Ravens win.
“Been there, done that guy with a resume like his. He is not only capable, man, he thrives in it. I think he put that on display tonight.”
Rodgers has also been playing his best football of the season. He has thrown five touchdowns while averaging 6.6 yards per pass since December 7. The Steelers are 5-2 in Rodgers’s past seven starts.
The veteran quarterback threw his last interception on November 9.
NFL Executive Fires Warning on QB Aaron Rodgers Before Steelers Playoff Debut