Arthur Smith Has a Clear Problem With Aaron Rodgers, Per Report, as Steelers Legend Expects QB to Retire

The question isn’t if Aaron Rodgers will retire – it’s when. Ever since the four-time MVP landed in Pittsburgh, the entire NFL has been holding its breath. Waiting to see whether this is the move that finally breaks the Steelers’ playoff curse. Or the one that snaps Mike Tomlin’s never-ending streak of winning seasons. On paper, it’s a match made in football heaven. A QB with a laser arm and a coach who’s never met a challenge he couldn’t outlast.

But dig a little deeper, and the fit gets murky. Rodgers’s Jets tenure was a masterclass in frustration – zero chemistry with receivers not named Davante Adams, constant friction with the offense, and a vibe that felt more awkward family reunion than Super Bowl push. Now, with Arthur Smith calling plays in Pittsburgh, the real drama might not be about whether Rodgers can win. But whether he’ll even want to. The fireworks officially began on ESPN’s Get Up. On the show, Dan Graziano, Bart Scott, and others broke down the Steelers’ looming QB dilemma. They had one glaring takeaway: Arthur Smith and Aaron Rodgers might already be on a collision course.

The panel played a telling clip from Ben Roethlisberger’s Footbahlin podcast, where the Steelers legend didn’t hold back: “So you can tell Aaron Rodgers you can’t check at the line of scrimmage… and I’m sure they won’t. I was told they told Russ [Wilson] he couldn’t, but I’m not trying to put that… They’re different players, I get that. But I can’t imagine he’s going to be like, ‘Hey Aaron, you run what I call.'” That was a bold comment.

The conversation zeroed in on Smith’s history with QB autonomy: “They didn’t want Russell Wilson to go off script. That caused problems in Denver,” one analyst noted. But he also added the kicker: “I don’t think Arthur Smith’s going to require that of Aaron Rodgers as much as he did Russell Wilson. Different players.” That last line – lifted straight from Roethlisberger’s podcast – says everything. After years of running the show in Green Bay and then in NY Jets, Rodgers isn’t the type to blindly follow a script. And as the panel pointed out, Pittsburgh’s eight-year playoff drought won’t end unless these two find middle ground fast.

Roethlisberger is already speculating this could be Rodgers’s final season. Hence, one thing’s clear: this partnership will either be the Steelers‘ revival. Or their messiest divorce since Antonio Brown. 

Ben Roethlisberger sees writing on the wall

Big Ben knows what it’s like to stare down the end. So when the Steelers legend says Aaron Rodgers’s one-year deal in Pittsburgh might be his last deal, it’s worth listening. The two-time Super Bowl winner didn’t mince words on his Footbahlin podcast: “I don’t think he’s got much more after this year.” And he’s speaking from brutal experience.

Roethlisberger remembers battling back from his own career-altering injury – that shredded elbow in 2019. He thought he’d fully healed, only to discover the hard truth a year later. “You don’t realize you’re not 100 until the next year, when you are 100,” he explained. He indeed drew a direct comparison to Rodgers’s own comeback from that torn Achilles.

But the concern goes deeper than physical recovery. At 41, with $10 million guaranteed and a roster that could either surprise in the playoffs or become a ticking clock, Rodgers clearly didn’t sign up for a rebuild. The man came to Pittsburgh for one final shot at glory. And Roethlisberger’s hunch? “This might be his last go.” Whether that ends with a Lombardi Trophy or a quiet exit might depend on how much gas is left in the tank. And how much patience Rodgers has for Arthur Smith’s playbook. 

So here’s where we are: Aaron Rodgers takes his shot in Pittsburgh, while Ben Roethlisberger starts counting down the clock. And Arthur Smith’s offense might be the shortest honeymoon in Steelers history. Nobody knows how this ends – maybe with confetti, maybe with Rodgers walking away shaking his head, maybe somewhere in between. But after only stacking winning seasons and no Super Bowl rings and a QB who’s never been shy about doing things his way, one thing’s certain: this won’t be boring.