The Pittsburgh Steelers bringing back Aaron Rodgers isn’t a given yet, but not everyone thinks that even if they do, there’s no guarantee that Pittsburgh will be a great team. The Steelers were good a season ago but far from contenders, and that’s something many have pointed out.
Former Cleveland Browns player Joshua Cribbs spoke about that while discussing what Rodgers can bring to Pittsburgh at this stage of his career if he decides to return.
“If he makes a commitment to them, like, he can do that,” Cribbs said, per Yahoo. “I just think, I’m not going to count him out. I counted him out last year, I said they’d be last in the league, and he pulled a rabbit out of a hat. I was like, ‘Wow, look at that. Steelers going to the playoffs. Winning season.’ I just didn’t think that was going to happen. I don’t think they have enough in the tank [this year], he has enough in the tank as a quarterback, to lead them to a Super Bowl.”
Cribbs isn’t questioning whether Rodgers can still play at a high level at times, as he showed us a year ago, but the consistent play is what this team needs.
The Steelers have been competitive no matter what, but there’s a difference between being in the mix and actually having the talent to win it all. Rodgers might not be the guy at this stage.
If everything around him goes as well as possible, I wouldn’t count a guy like Rodgers out. However, the Steelers don’t exactly have the greatest team around him right now and will have a new head coach in Mike McCarthy. To say there are uncertainties about that would be an understatement.
Regarding whether he’ll be back, the latest update suggests that a decision will come soon.
"I have not talked to (Rodgers). Coach (Mike McCarthy) has been in contact with him pretty regularly," Rooney told ESPN's Brooke Pryor at the Annual League Meeting in Phoenix. "I think a decision is coming soon. "I would say by the draft I would expect an answer."