The Steelers are entering a critical season, likely the last for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has publicly stated this offseason that he will retire at the end of the season. If this is indeed one last ride for the 42-year-old future Hall of Famer, then going out on top would be a great way to end his career.
But are the Steelers one of the few teams with a chance to make the Super Bowl this season? Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon published a list ranking each team’s panic meter heading into the season. He rated the Steelers at 9 out of 10, which means they are in full panic mode.
“This is realistically their last kick at the can in the Aaron Rodgers era, but it’s not a full-blown panic because I think a lot of fans realize they have a sub-Super Bowl ceiling barring a miracle from the 42-year-old quarterback,” Gagnon wrote on Wednesday.
Steelers Old Roster Might Not Hold up All Season
The Steelers have one of the oldest rosters in the NFL, which means this could be one of the last few seasons Pittsburgh has a chance to win a Super Bowl.
Even though Rodgers will turn 43 this season, he might give the Steelers their best chance to win a Super Bowl compared to someone like young quarterback Drew Allar, who may win the starting job next year and take over for a few seasons.
Rodgers is one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history, and even though he isn’t in his prime anymore, he still has the veteran experience to lead a handful of veterans to push for the playoffs.
The Steelers made the playoffs last season in Rodgers’ first year with the team and are looking to repeat that success this season.
Is Having Too Many Veterans a Bad Thing?
Although the Steelers have many veteran players, which can be a good thing at times, Sports Illustrated NFL insider Albert Breer thinks that having too many veterans could hurt Pittsburgh late in the season.
“I think the obvious one might be Pittsburgh because of the age and the roster, Breer said Monday on “The Herd.” “The construction of the team makes a lot of sense. If you think about it, it’s Aaron Rodgers, and at receiver you got [Michael] Pittman Jr. and [DK] Metcalf, and you got Rico Dowdle coming in at running back and Pat Freiermuth at tight end. On defense, it’s like veterans at every level. Cameron Heyward, T.J. Watt up front, Patrick Queen at linebacker, Jalen Ramsey, DeShon Elliott, and Jamel Dean in the secondary, and they have complex schemes coming in.
Breer believes the veteran players may start to wear down in the new Steelers’ offense and defensive schemes. Many successful teams balance young and veteran players, but the Steelers seem heavily reliant on veterans.
“Mike McCarthy is going to want to do a lot; he’s going to be able to leverage a lot out of Aaron Rodgers becuase he’s got veteran teammates,” Breer added. On defense, you’ve got Patrick Graham from the New England tree there going to try to throw a lot of volume at other offenses, and he’s got the group to do it. It’s just when you have that amount of age on your roster, you’re walking a narrow path. Will the team wear down over the course of the year? What will practice look like in October and November, and will there be any injuries?”
It also won’t help that the Steelers compete in one of the NFL’s toughest divisions, the AFC North. Every team in the division, aside from the Cleveland Browns, has a chance to make a run at the Super Bowl. Pittsburgh’s worst situation is facing the Baltimore Ravens twice in the last four weeks of the season, which could be crucial games for the Steelers to win the division.
Steelers Get Critical Warning as Aaron Rodgers Faces Possible Final Season