The Pittsburgh Steelers are running it back with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, officially re-signing the 21-year veteran on Monday morning for a second season in Pittsburgh. The move also rekindles a familiar partnership with coach Mike McCarthy, marking their first reunion since 2018.
On FOX Sports’ “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd, FOX Sports analyst Geoff Schwartz joined the show to discuss Rodgers reunion with McCarthy. Cowherd questioned McCarthys support for the move, suggesting he would prefer to roll with the teams young quarterbacks.
“I think [Mike] McCarthy is publicly taking a bullet because he would rather go with the kids,” Cowherd said. But he got the job and part of the deal is dont badmouth us when we bring Aaron [Rodgers] back.”
Schwartz pointed to the prior tension between Rodgers and McCarthy in Green Bay, where their working relationship ended with McCarthys firing in 2018 amid reported friction. He questioned how the reunion in Pittsburgh would function given that history.
“Remember, Aaron Rodgers and McCarthy did not end well, like he got him fired,” Schwartz said. “Now, theyre supposed to be best friends again at work? Theyre professionals, but again, I dont know if youre a Steelers fan, how youre looking forward to the season.”
Not only have the Steelers struggled to find a long-term answer at quarterback, but playoff success has also become a concern. The team has largely settled into the 8â9-win range in recent seasons, reflecting mediocrity.Â
Pittsburghs last postseason win came in 2017, when it defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round.
“You know exactly how this is going to go,” Schwartz said. “They havent won a playoff game in nine years, but you knew how the last nine were going to go anyway, but this doesnt feel like any hope.”
Schwartz questioned whether Pittsburghs commitment to staying competitive in the short term is preventing a needed reset with an aging roster.
“I think that if you asked McCarthy, hey, let’s sort of get rid of the old guys, lets go young this year and next year well hit it hard, I think he would rather take that,” Schwartz said. “But the pride, the organization, at some point you should have to say for a year or two that were going to be bad.”
The Steelers have never fully hit the reset button or entered a traditional rebuild, but Schwartz has pointed to examples where that approach has worked elsewhere.
“Theres probably examples of it working,” Schwartz said. “The Patriots got Drake Maye, like it works if you do it right. It does work if you do it right and Pittsburgh refuses to do it right.”
