The Pittsburgh Steelers are stumbling out of the gate, and after a brutal 20-3 beatdown by the New England Patriots in Week 2, a rival executive just went for the jugular on quarterback Aaron Rodgers. “He’s 42, can’t do it anymore,” the exec told The Athletic’s Mike Sando. And if that wasn’t enough, they doubled down: “Never thought that would work, anyway.” Talk about a gut punch from outside the locker room after a game where the Steelers looked absolutely lost.
Week 2 Woes: Rodgers Under Siege
It’s tough to watch a legend struggle, but Rodgers’ performance in Week 2 was a prime example. He threw for a meager 187 yards, completing 23 of 39 passes, with just one touchdown. But here’s the kicker: he got sacked a whopping four times for a combined loss of 43 yards. That’s a huge problem, right? No quarterback, no matter how great, can operate effectively when he’s constantly running for his life. Steelers Head Coach Mike McCarthy, who spent 13 years coaching Rodgers on the Green Bay Packers, was quick to take accountability. “It starts with me,” McCarthy told reporters, adding, “We’ve got to give Aaron better platforms to throw off of.” He also made it clear his philosophy isn’t “to dink and dunk all day and play keep-away football,” reserving that for situational plays. It makes you wonder if that’s a subtle jab at the current offensive scheme or just pure frustration boiling over after a tough loss.
Cryptic Comments and Lingering Questions
Rodgers himself, the four-time MVP, offered a postgame assessment that some are calling pretty cryptic. He declared, “The best teams are player-led teams,” then emphasized the need to alert McCarthy to “what’s working, what’s not working.” Ouch. That’s not exactly a glowing review of Pittsburgh’s offensive game plan on Sunday, is it? It screams a lack of cohesion and perhaps even a power struggle. And let’s be real, the risk of sticking with Rodgers for another year was always there. His 3,322 passing yards in 2025 were his fewest over a full season, and his 6.7 yards per attempt tied a career low, a definite red flag. We all saw his limitations in the pocket laid bare during that AFC Wild Card Round loss to the Houston Texans. The big hope was that reuniting him with McCarthy, his old coach, would magically help him find that effective formula again. But two games in? It’s looking like a bust.
The Numbers Are Screaming for Pittsburgh
Mike Sando pulled some stats that should make any Steelers fan seriously worried. This isn’t just a bad start; it’s historically bad. Through two games, this Steelers team is the absolute worst this century in EPA per pass play. They’re also second-worst in EPA per play overall, and third-worst in success rate. Those aren’t just numbers, folks, those are flashing red lights for the entire season! Can Pittsburgh still pull off a playoff challenge? Maybe. But if they do, and that’s a big “if,” it seems like it’ll be because of their roster’s fight and grit, *in spite* of what’s happening at quarterback, rather than because of it. They need to figure things out, and they need to do it yesterday.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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