Awkward Pittsburgh-Aaron Rodgers Marriage Ends With A Whimper
Steelers fans aren't exactly crying in their Primanti Bros sandwiches this afternoon.
It looks like mercurial quarterback Aaron Rodgers' time in Pittsburgh is about to come to an end, as the Steelers' signal caller does not appear to be in the team's future plans.
In what was probably a rocky marriage from the get-go, Rodgers and the Steelers certainly had their share of highs and lows.
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It went about as well as I or anyone else outside the Steel City expected, with a slightly above-average 10-7 record to go along with a division title in a watered-down and injury-riddled AFC North.
But, by and large, Rodgers will end his time with the Steelers without having any sort of signature moment or postseason win, and it might be time for the former Packers gunslinger to have some tough conversations with himself.
Rodgers lacked any sort of flash and sizzle he had been known for in his years in Green Bay, which is to be expected for an aging quarterback.
Between his season-ending injury in New York two seasons ago and his lack of postseason success, though, it might be a sign that it's time for "A-Rod" to hang 'em up.
Rodgers wasn't even that popular among Steelers fans either, and while this may be an anecdotal piece of evidence, my wife — who is a massive Pittsburgh fan — was out on him from the minute his signing was announced.
A quick glance through the comments can confirm these sentiments from fans, though. Not just in western PA, but throughout the league.
Both Pittsburgh and Aaron Rodgers can learn from this.
It's a simple lesson for Rodgers: this might be it for the future Hall of Famer.
For the Steelers, this should be a cautionary tale of trying to squeeze the last few drops of greatness out of an aging legend.
While they already had an example with last season's failed ride with Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh fans need only look a few hundred miles to the west in Indianapolis to see how untenable this strategy is.
Pittsburgh can use this as a reset: a new coach, and, potentially, a new quarterback in the next few draft cycles.
It was long past time for the Steelers to reassess things, and Rodgers may have just done them a favor by kick-starting that process.