With the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. He routinely made unbelievable plays. Now, he’s a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it’s clear that he’s past his prime. Age and injuries have affected Rodgers. Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has experience facing Rodgers in his prime, and he explained what he thinks is different about the quarterback now.
“I think the only thing that’s probably really changed is he’s not running as much in terms of trying to get away,” Austin said Tuesday during minicamp via audio provided by the team. “When he was younger, you could see him, you would be scared to play some man defenses. He’d get out of the pocket.
“He could beat you with his legs. Probably not as much, he’s probably more selective in terms of running that way. But I don’t see any drop-off in terms of accuracy, in terms of ball speed, in terms of how he spins it.”
Austin was the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions from 2014 to 2017. During that time, he faced Rodgers at the height of his powers. That includes being on the receiving end of one of Rodgers’ famous Hail Mary throws. A big reason why that play happened was because Rodgers was able to move outside of the pocket.
Today, Rodgers can’t move as well as he used to. That was evident last year when he was with the New York Jets. The Steelers faced Rodgers, so Austin got a chance to game plan for the four-time NFL MVP. It seems like he was able to notice the difference in his play style.
However, that shouldn’t be surprising. It isn’t often that 41-year-old quarterbacks have good mobility. That’s especially true for Rodgers, who tore his Achilles to start the 2023 season. That injury likely sapped him of much of his athleticism.
That doesn’t mean Rodgers is washed up, though. Like Austin says, the quarterback’s arm still looks great. While he might not be as mobile as he once was, he can still push the ball down the field. In the Steelers’ offense, that should be enough to find some success. They’ll likely try to lean on the run game, not asking Rodgers to carry them.
That puts a lot of responsibility on the Steelers’ offensive linemen, though. Their young and largely unproven, but for the Steelers to succeed, they’ll need to keep Rodgers upright. If they can do that, he might be able to recapture some of his old magic.
