The wait on Aaron Rodgers is finally over, with the veteran quarterback officially on the roster and in attendance at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. Although Rodgers has just signed with the team, that hasn’t stopped analysts from giving their opinions on the 41-year-old throughout the offseason. The latest comes from Adam Schein, on his Schein On Sports show on Tuesday.
“You knock Aaron Rodgers at your own risk,” Schein said. “Aaron Rodgers has a ton of gas left in the tank. Aaron Rodgers is going to have a great season. He’s gonna piggyback off what he did with the Jets at the end, and he’s gonna extrapolate that and have a tremendous, excellent, Rodgers-esque campaign.”
Although this comment is more about Rodgers than the Steelers in general, it does feel like a chance of pace as to how Schein has spoken about the Steelers in the past. He was critical of them throughout the 2024 season. Just a little less than a month ago, he predicted them to win only 5-6 games.
Schein’s change of course comes at the same time the Steelers’ offense finally feels like it has an identity, with Rodgers now in the building. The team always said they were comfortable with Mason Rudolph starting if need be, but they’ve got to be happy that the biggest storyline this offseason is now wrapped up (although a new one may be unfolding in the meantime).
Aaron Rodgers did make the Steelers wait a long time. However, it’s not like he’s far behind schedule. Rodgers signed before mandatory minicamp, something the team hoped he’d do. That gives him the rest of the summer, including training camp and the preseason, to get used to his new team before they hit the road to visit the New York Jets in Week 1.
That’s a game Schein is expecting the Steelers to win.
“Week 1, Jets-Steelers, It’s gonna be a lot of pressure on both teams, both quarterbacks, to win that game,” Schein said. “Spoiler alert… I will take the Pittsburgh Steelers and Aaron Rodgers to win that football game. Aaron Rodgers is gonna march into MetLife [Stadium] and throw for 300 yards.”
There should be a ton of motivation for Rodgers going into this one. He spent two years in New York before being released by the team this offseason. Since then, he’s spoken about his displeasure with their new head coach, Aaron Glenn, regarding the way his departure was handled.
That game may be a ‘revenge game’ for more than just Rodgers. The Steelers will play Justin Fields for the first time. After they declined to match the offer he received from the Jets this offseason. With both quarterbacks facing their former teams to start the new year, that should be a fun matchup.
Rodgers also faces another of his former teams, the Green Bay Packers. Schein thinks he’ll win that game as well.
“Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers come to town… I can’t wait for Aaron Rodgers to absolutely rip apart the Green Bay Packers,” Schein said.
All things considered, the Steelers would be ecstatic if Rodgers plays as well as Schein predicts. In Pittsburgh’s seemingly endless hope for a playoff win, quarterback play like that could finally get them over the hump.
