The Pittsburgh Steelers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers are back together, and while that certainly helps this franchise for 2026, not everybody is buying it. Yes, Rodgers is a veteran with MVP cred. He led this franchise to the top spot in the AFC North last season. But, that’s not enough for everybody.
What makes Rodgers vulnerable? Some NFL analysts simply don’t like his age. He’s 42. The average age of a starting quarterback in the NFL, according to research from The Athletic, is 28.5 years old. That’s a wide discrepancy.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report is sending a warning to the Steelers about Rodgers’ age. He writes that in the worst case scenario of the team, Rodgers could “lose the battle with Father Time.”
Steelers get a reality check on Aaron Rodgers
“Rodgers was a pretty steady starter for the Steelers in 2025, though he spent the year working with a pretty modest supporting cast,” Knox writes in the feature. “While the Steelers added a few pieces to their offense during the spring, they don’t have a unit capable of carrying the quarterback.”
He adds: “This shouldn’t be an issue if Rodgers is as dependable as he was a year ago. Of course, there’s no guarantee that the 42-year-old will be the same quarterback he was in 2025. Rodgers isn’t the same dynamic signal-caller he was just a few years ago, and if age leads to more regression in 2026, the Steelers will be in trouble.”
So, it’s true that Rodgers doesn’t have time on his side. Knox even suggests the Steelers may turn to Mason Rudolph during the season, or even Will Howard or Drew Allar. That’s a bit much. Veteran quarterbacks are all the rage these days. Just look at Matthew Stafford, who won his first MVP award in 2026 at the age of 38. Rodgers will be just fine for one season, and it’s going to be his last season in the NFL, so he only needs to be on point for one more run.
