The Pittsburgh Steelers had a imaginative and prescient.
And it took some critical persistence.
It wasn’t till early June that Aaron Rodgers reached a one-year, $13.65 million contract with the Steelers, almost 4 months after the Jets knowledgeable the veteran quarterback of his launch.
Pittsburgh went via free company, the NFL Draft and OTAs with out including a beginning QB, taking a threat as Rodgers thought-about his future.
However Rodgers lastly signed, and a few seven months later, he and the fourth-seeded Steelers (10-7) are getting ready for a playoff recreation towards the Houston Texans (12-5).
“This was the imaginative and prescient within the spring once we pursued him,” head coach Mike Tomlin mentioned after clinching the AFC North with an instant-classic 26-24 win over the Baltimore Ravens within the regular-season finale.
“That’s why you do enterprise with a 41, 42-year-old man, been-there, done-that man with a résumé like his. He’s not solely succesful, man. He thrives in it.”
Monday night time’s Wild Card Spherical recreation at Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium marks Rodgers’ first postseason look since January of 2022.
That drought included a disappointing two-year tenure with the Jets through which Rodgers missed virtually all the 2023 season because of an Achilles tear, adopted by a 2024 season through which he went 5-12.
Though Rodgers was productive in 2024 — he handed for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns — and completed the season sturdy, the Jets’ new regime of head coach Aaron Glenn and basic supervisor Darren Mougey opted for a clear slate and moved on from the headline-making four-time MVP.
The Jets in the end began three quarterbacks — together with Justin Fields, who spent 2024 with Pittsburgh — throughout their 3-14 season in 2025.
Their loss proved to be Pittsburgh’s acquire, because the Steelers went 10-6 in Rodgers’ begins and gained their division for the primary time since 2020.
“A whole lot of gratitude for the journey,” Rodgers mentioned. “Each season is completely different, has its challenges, adversity. We haven’t made it simple on ourselves, actually all season, I suppose, however I’m pleased with our guys.”
Rodgers, who turned 42 final month, handed for 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns with seven interceptions in 16 video games.
He was at his greatest when it mattered most, throwing for a season-high 294 yards and main the Steelers on two fourth-quarter landing drives towards the Ravens with the division on the road.
The latter of these touchdowns was a 26-yard cross to Calvin Austin with 55 seconds remaining — a go-ahead rating that held up because the game-winner when Ravens rookie kicker Tyler Loop missed a 44-yard field-goal try as time expired.
“It’s cool while you see the ball within the palms of [No.] 8 there,” mentioned Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt, referring to Rodgers. “It’s like, he’s right here for a motive. Because of this he’s right here. That is the most effective dude within the NFL for this second.”
The Steelers enter the playoffs having gained 4 of their final 5 video games, however they started the week as 3.5-point underdogs to the fifth-seeded Texans.
That’s as a result of red-hot Houston has gained 9 video games in a row, largely on the power of one of many NFL’s stoutest defenses.
The Texans allowed an NFL-low 277.2 yards per recreation, whereas opponents scored an AFC-low 17.4 factors per recreation towards them.
Go rushers Danielle Hunter (15) and Will Anderson (12) mixed for 27 sacks — a bonus Rodgers will try and thwart with one of many NFL’s quickest launch occasions.
“Aaron, he’s carried out it at a excessive degree for a very long time as a result of he’s most likely one of many smartest quarterbacks to play the sport,” mentioned Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans, a former linebacker who confronted Rodgers throughout his taking part in profession.
“He does a extremely good job, understands protection rather well. However for us, that doesn’t change. … It’s about our guys taking part in collectively, collectively, towards a extremely good opponent.”
One factor working in Rodgers’ favor is the return of high large receiver D.Okay. Metcalf, who’s again after a two-game suspension for hitting a fan throughout a Week 16 win in Detroit.
Tomlin mentioned Metcalf — who led Pittsburgh with 850 receiving yards and 6 landing catches in 15 video games — is “in an important place” and “completely satisfied to be again.”
So is Rodgers, who seeks his second Tremendous Bowl championship after successful his first a decade and a half in the past with the Inexperienced Bay Packers.
“It simply takes just a little perception at this level within the season,” Rodgers mentioned. “There’s 14 groups that’ll be left, 18 that’ll be planning their offseasons. It’s good to be a part of the 14.”
