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Three years after showing Ben Roethlisberger the door, the Pittsburgh Steelers are now turning to another future Hall of Fame quarterback who was born just one year after Roethlisberger was. Aaron Rodgers, who once slayed Roethlisberger and the mighty Steelers in the Super Bowl, is now being tasked with helping get Pittsburgh back to the big game for the first time since the Packers' triumph over the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. 

Rodgers comes to Pittsburgh with an impressive trophy case that includes four league MVP awards. He is also coming in with some considerable baggage in addition to being 41 years old and coming off one of his worse seasons to date. There's some obvious risk associated with this move, but they are risks the Steelers should take in an effort to give aging defensive stars T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick an actual shot at playing for a championship before their careers are over. 

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin often says that he doesn't live in his fears, and he's showing that now by committing to Rodgers after the team's unsuccessful attempt to re-sign Justin Fields, who in a twist of irony is replacing Rodgers in New York. It would have been understandable if the Steelers passed on Rodgers given his age, his diminishing skills and his larger than life persona. But Tomlin clearly feels that Rodgers gives his team the best chance to win in 2025, and there are tangible reasons to believe that. 

Last year, after missing virtually the entire 2023 season after rupturing his Achilles, Rodgers finished in the top 10 in the NFL in passing yards and touchdown passes. He did this despite the Jets firing their head coach and demoting their offensive coordinator after five games. Throughout the year, Rodgers showed his legendary toughness by not missing a game despite dealing with several nagging injuries. 

Rodgers is trying to do what only Tom Brady has done before him, and that's being a 40-something-year-old quarterback who is still playing at a high level. Brady was mostly great in his 40s, but he played on championship-level teams for the majority of those years. For the most part, Brady's teams late in his career complemented his strengths and hid his weaknesses while allowing him to age gracefully. The result was Brady capturing two more Super Bowl wins and two more Super Bowl MVPs. 

The Steelers need to do that now with Rodgers, who last year proved he can still sling it with the best of them, albeit not as consistently as he once did. If Rodgers plays at a Pro Bowl level in Pittsburgh, the Steelers have a good chance at making a deep playoff run for the first time since 2016. 

One of the most notable things watching Rodgers last year was his diminished mobility. While he was never confused for being Michael Vick, Rodgers' elusiveness in the pocket was a huge part of his success during his prime, and if that is no longer part of his arsenal, the Steelers need to give him the same protection that Roethlisberger received during the later years of his prime, when he sometimes went an entire game without being touched. 

While they don't have a ton of depth behind them, the Steelers' offensive line has the potential to be the franchise's best since 2020. The starting-five projects to include two former first-round picks in tackles Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu, a returning Pro Bowler in veteran guard Isaac Seumalo, and two second-years players in center Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick who were immediate starters in 2024. 

Rodgers has weapons at his disposal in DK Metcalf, fellow wideout Calvin Austin III and tight end Pat Freiermuth. He's already started working with Metcalf, and he should quickly gel with Austin, whose work ethic is among the best on the team. The Steelers are also reportedly trying to acquire another proven wideout after trading George Pickens to the Cowboys last month. There have been rumblings that Roman Wilson -- who missed his entire rookie season with an injury -- has impressed during OTAs. 

Pittsburgh still has Jaylen Warren, but it lost a big part of its offense when it let fellow running back Najee Harris test free agency (he ultimately signed with the Chargers). With Harris gone, the Steelers spent a third round pick on his replacement, former Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound Johnson has already been compared to both Harris and Le'Veon Bell. Along with possessing Harris-like physicality, Johnson's patience and big-play ability are similar to Bell, who set several franchise records during his five-year run in Pittsburgh. 

Defensively, Rodgers will be complemented by a unit that is capable of winning some games on its own, especially after adding some necessary pieces via free agency and during the draft. The Steelers' defensive additions this offseason includes six-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay and first-round pick Derrick Harmon, one of the top-ranked defensive tackle prospects in this year's draft. 

Personnel aside, one of the biggest tasks Rodgers faces in Pittsburgh is building a relationship with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Smith and Russell Wilson apparently had some issues, and that undoubtedly led to Wilson not being re-signed. Smith and Rodgers have to have a strong rapport if the Steelers are going to have success in 2025. 

Smith is a run-first coach, which is actually a great thing for Rodgers at this stage of his career ... as long as the Steelers are good at running the ball. Rodgers will have to make some compromises as far Smith's play selections, but Smith will also need to let Rodgers be Rodgers while giving him some autonomy as far as the game plan and having the ability to make audibles at the line of scrimmage. 

The Steelers play in the AFC North, one of the NFL's toughest divisions that includes Lamar Jackson's Ravens and Joe Burrow's Bengals. The Steelers haven't won the North since 2020, which is one of the reasons why they haven't won a playoff game since the 2016 season. Pittsburgh started 10-3 last year before losing each of its last four regular season games. The Steelers, as noted earlier, have a solid roster, but they need to play at a more consistent level in 2025 if they are going to be a serious contender in the AFC. This is where Rodgers' veteran experience may really come in handy. 

While talent was clearly a reason why the Steelers fell apart late last season, you could argue that a lack of offensive leadership also contributed to the collapse. While Rodgers' public persona is a complicated, he has largely been regarded in the past as a great teammate and a leader who isn't afraid to challenge anyone. The Steelers haven't had an offensive leader like that since Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season. What Rodgers should bring to Pittsburgh from a leadership standpoint shouldn't be overlooked. 

While Brady playing in his forties is an easy comparison, John Elway is another example of an aging quarterback who ended his career on an incredibly high note. He wasn't in his forties, but Elway was at the time the oldest starting quarterback to win the Super Bowl after helping the Broncos win Super Bowl XXXII at age 37. A year later, he retired on top after he helped lead Denver to a successful title defense while becoming the oldest player (38) to win Super Bowl MVP. 

Prior to those seasons, Elway's career was going to be defined as being an all-time great player who came close but was unable to win a Super Bowl, largely because his teams were good but not good enough. Elway changed that narrative right at the end with the help of great teammates and coaches. 

Nearly three decades later, Rodgers is also trying to change the narrative surrounding him as an all-time great player who underachieved as far as winning Super Bowls. Like Elway, Rodgers will have one last chance to change the narrative surrounding him. It's up to him and his new teammates to make the most of their opportunity.