Brooke PryorDec 31, 2025, 04:02 PM ETCloseBrooke Pryor is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2019. She previously covered the Kansas City Chiefs for the Kansas City Star and the University of Oklahoma for The Oklahoman.Follow on X
Mad Dog gets heated at Schrager, Swagu when defending Aaron Rodgers (2:25)Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, Peter Schrager and Marcus Spears debate whether a Steelers rebuild is on the line in their matchup vs. the Ravens for the AFC North. (2:25)
“I’ve enjoyed this experience, and everybody in Pittsburgh has been fantastic to me on and off the field. And it’s really what I was hoping for this experience was, it’s been even better than I was hoping.”
After signing a one-year, $13.65 million contract with Pittsburgh in June, Rodgers told “The Pat McAfee Show” in an interview that he was “pretty sure” the 2025 season would be his last.
“I played 20 fricking years. It’s been a long run. I’ve enjoyed it, and no better place to finish than in one of the cornerstone franchises of the NFL with Mike Tomlin and a great group of leadership and great guys in the city that expects you to win.”
Six months after that interview, Rodgers praised Tomlin and expressed gratitude for the experience in Pittsburgh.
“I hope I can get through this stretch and feel good physically so that’s not in the conversation,” he said.
Since arriving in Pittsburgh, Rodgers helped the Steelers to a 9-7 record and kept them in contention for an AFC North title. He has thrown for 3,028 yards with 23 touchdowns to seven interceptions and completed 65.6% of his attempts.
“At times, yeah, definitely,” Rodgers said, asked whether he had played the kind of ball he wanted to play this season. “Anytime you’re in a first-year offense, there’s always some growing pains within the offense. It’s always like, you feel like, if you had another year, what you could do.
“… We’ve done the best we could with our conversations and our meeting time outside the facility and our meeting time in the facility. But obviously the more years you get in the system with the same guys, the more continuity you have, the better you feel like you can play.”
The Steelers are partially in this do-or-die situation against Baltimore because of Rodgers’ subpar performance playing without wide receiver DK Metcalf against Cleveland in Week 17. Rodgers completed just 53.8% of his attempts and threw for 168 yards. Rodgers has completed 55% or fewer attempts three other times this season and rebounded with improved performances each time.
“I don’t have a lot of stinkers back-to-back over the years,” Rodgers said. “So it’s the same mindset every week, same approach. Just expect greatness. And when it doesn’t happen, you don’t shift up the plan. You just keep on going and trust the process.”
Mad Dog gets heated at Schrager, Swagu when defending Aaron Rodgers (2:25)Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, Peter Schrager and Marcus Spears debate whether a Steelers rebuild is on the line in their matchup vs. the Ravens for the AFC North. (2:25)
Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, Peter Schrager and Marcus Spears debate whether a Steelers rebuild is on the line in their matchup vs. the Ravens for the AFC North. (2:25)
CloseBrooke Pryor is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2019. She previously covered the Kansas City Chiefs for the Kansas City Star and the University of Oklahoma for The Oklahoman.Follow on X