Is Pittsburgh Steelers veteran Aaron Rodgers the third-worst starting QB in the NFL?
Pittsburgh Steelers veteran Aaron Rodgers is one of the greatest QBs in NFL history. He will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer one day.
However Father Time is undefeated and Rodgers has lost his battle to it.
Through the Steelers' first two games of the season, Rodgers has 408 passing yards, one passing touchdown and one interception. He's completing only 59.5% of his passes and Pittsburgh has just one offensive touchdown.
In the wake of Rodgers' struggles, FOX Sports ranked Rodgers the third-worst starting QB in the NFL. Only Malik Willis of the Miami Dolphins and Cooper Rush of the Atlanta Falcons are ranked lower than Rodgers.
In the Steelers' Week 2 loss against the New England Patriots, Rodgers was off target on 26% of his throws (nine attempts) in the loss, his worst as a Steeler. The Patriots frustrated Rodgers with heavy pressure and blitzed on 19 of 44 dropbacks (43%), the second-highest rate he has faced with Pittsburgh.
Against the blitz, Rodgers was 8-of-17 for 42 yards with two sacks and an interception. And he had his first interception against the blitz as a member of the Steelers, who are 1-1.
Rodgers had 3,322 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions last season. Many people thought Rodgers would play well again this season since he knows Mike McCarthy's system well.
However, through two games, Rodgers looks like a complete shell of himself, so much so that some pundits have called for McCarthy to bench the NFL legend for rookie Drew Allar.
McCarthy is not going to bench Rodgers in Rodgers' final NFL season. That's not how you treat a football icon.
The Steelers face the 2-0 Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3. Pittsburgh enters that game averaging only 11.5 points per game on the season. To beat Joe Burrow, Rodgers will have to turn back the clock.
Rodgers entered this season with 66,274 passing yards and 527 passing touchdowns in the regular season and 6,040 passing yards and 45 passing touchdowns in the playoffs. He's played for the Green Bay Packers, New York Jets and Steelers.
McCarthy and Rodgers won Super Bowl XLV against the Steelers as members of the Packers. Rodgers called it a "full-circle" moment to play for McCarthy again when McCarthy was hired.
However, thus far, the reunion hasn't been pretty.
The good news is that there is still plenty of time for Rodgers and Co. to turn things around.
