It goes without saying that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is polarizing. Heck, polarizing doesn’t even seem to be the correct word anymore, as seemingly everyone in the NFL media sphere loves to treat Rodgers like he’s a member of Nickelback.
Regardless on how you feel about Rodgers, it’s disingenuous to act as if he is a bottom-dweller quarterback that is incapable of playing good football. Despite what many other analysts will try to tell you, there is still a lot of good that comes with Aaron Rodgers, despite him not being able to play at the level he once did. Today, we’ll look at the good and the bad that come with the four-time MVP in 2026.
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Bad: Panic-filled quick throws
The biggest ding on Rodgers at this stage of his career is the clear and obvious fear of getting hit, which leads to quick throws that don’t allow the play to fully develop. Opposing defenses can take advantage of this with simulated pressures in a traditional sense by showing blitz up the middle but bringing a nickel blitz, or just dropping completely off all together and having defenders close to receivers for the quick underneath tackle.
Either way, if Rodgers sensed pressure coming, he was either killing the play by throwing the ball away or immediately checking down. Per Next Gen Stats, Rodgers averaged the quickest time to throw in the NFL among qualified quarterbacks at 2.59 seconds, despite ranking last in pressure percentage. The offensive line largely did a good job of keeping pressure off Rodgers – he needs to trust in the guys in front of him to allow plays to develop.
Good: Intermediate passing
When he did allow the play to develop, though, Rodgers was one of the top throwers of the football when it came to making the passes in the intermediate portion of the field (11-20 yards downfield). Of all quarterbacks to play at least eight games, Rodgers ranked eighth in passer rating on intermediate throws (103.3). He was also second in touchdown passes when targeting that portion of the field with nine. He also had the fewest pass attempts of the top four quarterbacks in intermediate touchdowns, giving him a 12.5 touchdown percentage. In totality, he finished 2025 going 33-of-70 for 633 yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions on intermediate throws, per Sumer Sports.
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Now, it’s fair to point out that Rodgers needs to throw it downfield more. He only had 70 attempts of 11-20 yards downfield in 2025, which is a number that needs to increase in 2026. That said, he will almost certainly be targeting that portion of the field at a higher clip in Mike McCarthy’s offense, and also with an upgraded collection of weapons.
Good: Ball placement
Rodgers is still one of the best in the league at putting the ball exactly where he wants it. Per PFF, he had 27 big time throws in 2025, which ranked 10th in the NFL and put him ahead of the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Jared Goff, and Brock Purdy. Had the Steelers not dropped 22 passes, Rodgers’ numbers would have been even higher.
The terrific ball placement also coincides with Rodgers protecting the ball, throwing only seven interceptions and finishing with a turnover worthy play percentage of just 2.6. He is making the tight-window throws while also not turning the ball over – that’s one of the biggest boxes to check when looking for a quality starter, which Rodgers very much still is.
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Bad: Middle of the field throws
He just doesn’t do it. Look at his passing charts from 2025 – Rodgers does his best to avoid the middle of the field if possible. That’s probably not going to change too much, if we’re being completely honest. For as terrific as Rodgers has been at protecting the ball, he also avoids high-risk scenarios. And while that may naturally help his interception total stay low, it also puts a cap on how explosive the offense can be.
Good: Clutch
Rodgers put his clutch gene on display in several instances in 2025. Starting in Week 1 against the New York Jets, Rodgers threw two fourth-quarter touchdowns to lead Pittsburgh over his former team to start the year. In Week 3 against the New England Patriots, he hit Calvin Austin late in the fourth quarter for the game-winning touchdown, and found Austin again to close out the regular season against the Ravens in a winner-take-all game to clinch the AFC North.
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Rodgers finished 2025 second in the NFL in fourth-quarter touchdown passes, trailing only Matthew Stafford and showing that as the game gets down to the wire, he still has the ability to lift the offense and give his team a chance to win.
There are things that Rodgers gets rightfully criticized for, but it’s unfair to only be critical, as so many have been towards Rodgers over the last year. Is he the same guy we watched win consecutive MVPs at the start of the decade? No. However, to suggest that he is one of the worst starters in the NFL would also be a massive stretch, considering what he is still capable of.
With Michael Pittman and Germie Bernard providing massive upgrades to the Steelers’ receiving corps in 2026, Rodgers will have far more help than he did in Year One in Pittsburgh. With that taken into consideration, there’s no reason to believe that the future first-ballot Hall of Famer won’t be able to improve on what was a solid 2025 season, lead Pittsburgh back to the postseason, and potentially give the franchise its first playoff victory since 2016.
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