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The Pittsburgh Steelers brought successful Aaron Rodgers to salvage a mates years of mediocre backmost play, taking a bet connected nan then-41-year-old.
But location were hardly immoderate issues, arsenic nan Steelers were erstwhile again successful nan playoffs, arsenic Mike Tomlin again vanished supra .500.
However, Rodgers, for illustration past year, is playing nan waiting crippled and remains a free agent.
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Aaron Rodgers (8) of nan Pittsburgh Steelers looks connected looks connected during nan nationalist anthem anterior to an NFL shot crippled against nan Baltimore Ravens astatine Acrisure Stadium connected Jan. 4, 2026 successful Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
It does look for illustration successful each likelihood that Rodgers will return to Pittsburgh for a 22nd NFL season, and 1 Steelers fable believes that nan squad doesn't really person galore different answers.
"When you person nary alternative, past you person nary choice," Jerome Bettis told Fox News Digital. And I deliberation there's immoderate players that are afforded a small spot much latitude than others, and Aaron Rodgers is 1 of them, particularly erstwhile you are constricted from a backmost perspective, successful position of extent and experience, right?"
Bettis, though, really sees a affirmative successful Rodgers' wait-and-see.
"There is an opportunity for our number 2 feline to get a batch of reps, a batch of opportunity, right? So there's immoderate positives to this, because you're letting nan young guys get an opportunity to tally nan discourtesy and benignant of study nan discourtesy arsenic they go."
Pittsburgh Steelers caput coach Mike Tomlin walks disconnected nan section pinch Aaron Rodgers (8) of nan Pittsburgh Steelers aft a 29-24 triumph against nan Detroit Lions astatine Ford Field. The crippled took spot successful Detroit, Michigan, connected Dec. 21, 2025. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
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Bettis "of course" understands that players could beryllium upset by waiting connected their starting backmost and wants immoderate "continuity" successful nan locker room.
"I'd beryllium like, what's going on? What are we doing? But now that, you went done it, you cognize nan value, you cognize that Aaron is simply a squad player, right? He understands nan culture. So, now it's not that large of a concern," Bettis continued.
The Steelers, for nan astir part, person had beautiful accordant backmost play for 2 decades, but that has travel astatine nan disbursal elsewhere, Bettis said. With respective holes to fill, Bettis is teaming up pinch The Athletic and its NFL Draft guide, "The Beast," and gathering Steelers fans successful Pittsburgh to talk what they want successful this month's NFL Draft, which will return spot successful Pittsburgh.
"They tin look astatine players that they don't cognize about, players that are possibly being talked about, that they don't person immoderate existent knowing of. Now they get that really elaborate accusation astir immoderate of nan young guys that they're gonna beryllium rooting for nan adjacent 10, 15 years," Bettis said. "You can't perchance cognize a batch connected each these guys, and that's why The Beast is gonna beryllium truthful adjuvant and truthful useful for nan fans, truthful that they're up to day knowing of who that young, young man is, um, that's perchance being drafted. ...
Running backmost Jerome Bettis #36 of nan Pittsburgh Steelers runs pinch nan shot against nan Denver Broncos during nan 1997 play AFC Championship crippled astatine Three Rivers Stadium connected January 11, 1998 successful Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Broncos defeated nan Steelers 24-21. (George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
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"They person fto nan different pieces deteriorate successful nan consciousness of, nan moving crippled struggled, nan receivers struggled. So, they've sewage to do a batch to thief nan quarterback," Bettis said, adding protect thief is necessary, too. "And, I mean, get nan receivers, get nan violative statement help, get nan moving backmost position figured out. They gotta do immoderate things earlier you get to nan quarterback, because correct now, nan different pieces aren't bully enough."
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