Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is already tinkering with the Pittsburgh Steelers offense after signing a one-year, $13.65M deal with them on Saturday.
On a Sunday episode of “SportsCenter,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and Rodgers have been “on the cellphone” about altering the staff’s offense. This contains discovering a “candy spot” the place Rodgers can audible on the line of scrimmage however nonetheless keep true to the staff’s system.
Whereas four-time MVP Rodgers is coming off a disappointing 5-12 season with the New York Jets, the Steelers really feel a participant of his stature deserves to have a say within the staff’s offense.
“Groups I’ve talked to consider that Rodgers at this stage is a middle-of-the-pack quarterback,” Fowler stated (h/t Bleacher Report’s Timothy Rapp). “He is in all probability ranked 15-17 among the many prime 32. He is not that top-10 man anymore, however the Steelers do consider he has the perfect area imaginative and prescient from the pocket since they’ve had Ben Roethlisberger. They consider he is nonetheless bought loads of arm energy and the New York Jets coaches I’ve talked to suppose he was quite a bit higher than the stats confirmed final 12 months. It is simply merely a mobility problem. It is also how he’s going to coalesce with Smith?”
Since tearing his left Achilles tendon throughout Week 1 of the 2023 season, Rodgers has seemingly misplaced the power to increase performs together with his legs. In 17 video games throughout the 2024 season, he took 40 sacks.
Smith, in the meantime, has coached cellular QBs all through his profession. When he was Atlanta Falcons HC from 2021-23, he began QBs Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder. Final season, the Steelers performed QBs Justin Fields and Russell Wilson.
Maybe Rodgers is contacting Smith to assist tailor his playbook for a standard pocket passer.
Even when Smith and Rodgers click on, reigniting the Steelers’ dreadful offense might nonetheless be difficult. Final season, Pittsburgh ranked twenty seventh in passing yards (192 YPG) per recreation and sixteenth in factors scored (22.4) per contest.
This offseason, they acquired large receiver DK Metcalf in a commerce with the Seattle Seahawks however subsequently dealt wideout George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys.
Until 41-year-old Rodgers recaptures his elite kind, it might be a shock if the offensive modifications work.
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