The Steelers Need To Incorporate A New Strategy For Aaron Rodgers To Succeed

The Pittsburgh Steelers' offense was lackluster at times in 2025. There was a lack of rhythm, and explosive plays were hard to come by. Starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers got the ball out of his hands in a hurry. He was among the league leaders in throw time, getting the ball out of his hands in a little over two seconds. He found receivers as soon as they became open or when they were short throws. His average depth per target was low, too. The Steelers' offensive scheme angered many fans because many passes weren't explosive deep balls downfield. Pittsburgh's running game didn't help much either, as the team was 25th in rushing yards. 

Under new head coach Mike McCarthy, the hope is for the offense to take the next step. Rodgers didn't have a great bunch of receivers to throw to, and the previous regime's offense was stale. With the new staff, Rodgers and McCarthy, who are very familiar with one another, can flip the script. McCarthy was a reason why Rodgers ended up being the future Hall of Famer that he is. He was noted for fixing Rodgers' awkward throwing motion in his young career. The tandem, combined with much better offensive personnel, can bring a new approach to the passing game. 

Steelers insider Mark Kaboly suggested a way for Rodgers and the Steelers' passing game to improve in 2026. This will involve the help of a more established run game. Kaboly spoke about this on the podcast Kaboly and Mack. 

"One thing you want to do is get that play-action into the fold a little bit more," Kaboly explained. "I don't know how comfortable they were doing that last year because you turn your back and you get clobbered. [Rodgers is] one of the elite guys in doing that. So, I would imagine that would be the case."

Rodgers getting back to the play-action will be huge in helping him get back to what he's used to. McCarthy and Rodgers ran a lot of it with the Green Bay Packers. The four-time MVP's style is backyard football and scrambling. He'll be able to make some big plays from that, and even some quick hitters where his receivers can catch and run. The run game will only complement this, and the organization has only made it a point to improve it this offseason. The offensive line struggled at points last season, but improved throughout the year. This will only help Rodgers, as he won't have to get rid of it quite as quickly. 

Rodgers threw the ball out of the play action 93 times for 517 yards in 2025. This put him towards the middle of the pack, where veteran QB and 2025 MVP Matthew Stafford threw 207 times in play-action for 1,744 yards. Age clearly isn't the issue with that, as Stafford is getting up there, too. He won an MVP running a ton of it, and while Rodgers probably wouldn't win an MVP at this point, it proves that the offense could thrive by incorporating more of it. That's Rodgers' bread and butter, and McCarthy knows that well. It wouldn't be a surprise if that number of attempts increases in 2026.

The Steelers Have Made Moves For Rodgers To Perform Better In 2026

Pittsburgh had a busy offseason by its standards. One of the reasons for the poor offense in 2025 was the lack of depth at wideout. Now, the Steelers have added Michael Pittman Jr. and drafted a receiver in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Germie Bernard. Those two will join star DK Metcalf and should give Rodgers much more help compared to last season. 

Pittsburgh's offense seems to be trending towards improvement. Allowing Rodgers to get back to being the quarterback he once was in a familiar system can prove to be important in the team's overall success -- hopefully leading to a playoff win. 

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