Steelers fans have spoken. Possibly.
In a clearly unscientific poll on Twitter, we posed this question on Tuesday: “Steelers fans (and only Steelers fans, please), do you want Aaron Rodgers to be the Pittsburgh starting QB for 2025?”
A total of 11,286 votes were cast. Of those who voted, 55.9 percent said “no,” and 44.1 percent said “yes.”
Some are concerned that Rodgers can no longer play at a high level. (We think he can.) Others have expressed reluctance toward Rodgers because of his reluctance toward pouncing on the opportunity to be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback.
Even if Steelers fans aren’t willing to unfurl the Terrible Towel for Rodgers on the way in, that will all change if/when he plays well and the Steelers win games. Once the fans process their initial ambivalence or disappointment, they’ll circle the wagons and count the days for the start of the season.
Think back to 2010. After quarterback Ben Roethlisberger faced allegations of misconduct during a March excursion to Milledgeville, Georgia, Steelers fans turned on him, sharply and loudly. The team considered trading him. Talk shows were flooded with calls from people sharing and airing their Big Ben-related grievances.
He ultimately served a four-game suspension. When he returned, he won. The Steelers went 9-3 with Roethlisberger at quarterback. They made it to the Super Bowl. And, even though they lost (coincidentally, to Rodgers and the Packers), the seemingly irreparable wound had been repaired.
In time, the scar disappeared. By the time Roethlisberger retired, it was frowned upon to even whisper the fact that there was a moment when Roethlisberger was Pittsburgh’s biggest pariah.
The Rodgers hesitation is nothing compared to the anti-Ben sentiment that emerged fifteen years ago. Winning cured it. If/when Rodgers plays well and wins games, the offseason consternation will be forgotten, too.
Especially since, from a football standpoint, he continues to be their best option. By far.
So to those who don’t like the idea of Rodgers coming to Pittsburgh, there’s a good chance you will. And there’s a better chance that you’d hate any other plan for the quarterback position in 2025.
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