It hasn’t even been a full month, and Pittsburgh already got its first taste of life with Aaron Rodgers—and it came, oddly enough, through a helmet. On Day 1 of Steelers minicamp, Rodgers showed visible frustration with his new gear, forced into a switch after the NFL banned his longtime helmet model, the Schutt Air XP Pro Q11 LTD, on safety grounds. “I can’t stand the helmet,” Rodgers said after practice. For a player entering Year 21, comfort and routine matter—and Pittsburgh’s new QB1 looked neither comfortable nor settled.

The situation marks a sharp contrast from 2019, when Rodgers was similarly forced to abandon a banned helmet model. Back then, he brushed off the change. “It’s not difficult at all,” he said calmly, praising newer models for their custom fit. But this time is different. Rodgers didn’t just lose a helmet—he lost the one he stuck with through two decades and two teams. He also didn’t hide his displeasure. Coming off a major Achilles injury, now on his third team, and with his leadership under the microscope, even this small sign of friction feels bigger than it might otherwise.

It adds to a larger narrative that Rodgers, once the NFL’s most poised and flexible quarterback, might now be showing signs of rigidity. That tension isn’t lost on former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum, who saw Rodgers’ last chapter up close in New York. And now, on ESPN’s Get Up, Tannenbaum didn’t hold back his blunt prediction about the Steelers’ new QB.

“I think Aaron Rodgers could be irrelevant by Thanksgiving. A non-playoff team with a 42-year-old quarterback who’s a legend going off into the sunset.”, he said, tapping into a broader concern. Pittsburgh, for all its culture and history, isn’t Green Bay. And it certainly isn’t the Jets, where Rodgers had control over everything from the roster to the vibe of the room. In Pittsburgh, expectations are high, but patience is thin.

Plus, consider the circumstances. Rodgers is coming off one of the worst stretches of his career—6 wins in 18 starts across two seasons in New York. His final game there ended four snaps in, with an Achilles tear that derailed everything. At 40, with mobility in question and timing to rediscover, he’s walking into a new offense that ranked just 23rd in total yardage last season.

His contract reflects that risk. The Steelers are paying $13.65 million, with just $10 million guaranteed. The rest? Incentives. Performance-based. For a quarterback who hasn’t played a full season since 2021. 

And while Rodgers was once the ultimate football chameleon—adjusting on the fly, thriving in chaos—this version seems a little more rigid. If the helmet discomfort is any indication, the road to Week 1 may be bumpier than expected. Sure, Tannenbaum’s “sunset” seems like a metaphor, but what if it might be a forecast? 

But as Tannenbaum predicts Rodgers’ fade into irrelevance by Thanksgiving, not everyone in the AFC North is ready to write him off. In a division loaded with MVPs and mic’d-up menace, Rodgers won’t get to quietly exit the stage—he’ll have to dodge defenders who still think he’s worth burying. Literally.

Myles Garrett stakes his claim: “Put him in the graveyard”

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett didn’t sugarcoat his reaction to Rodgers joining the AFC North. Speaking to reporters at mandatory minicamp, he didn’t hesitate: “I think it’s a good opportunity to put him in the graveyard.” 

When Garrett mentions “graveyard,” he’s referencing an acknowledged tradition—the mock tombstones he sets up during Halloween, each featuring names of QBs he’s sacked. With Rodgers entering the division, Garrett now has a new target to add to that display.

Their first opportunity arrives on October 12, when Pittsburgh visits Cleveland in Week 6. It’s no idle threat—Garrett has only faced Rodgers once before, during a Christmas Day 2021 game at Lambeau Field, where Garrett recorded one tackle and a quarterback hit. He sat out their other potential meetings in 2017 (his rookie year) and again in 2023, when Rodgers suffered an Achilles tear. If Rodgers stays healthy, Garrett will now have two clear chances to sack him during the upcoming season—first on the road and then again at home in Week 17. 

A quarterback uncomfortable in his helmet, doubted by former GM, and now hunted by the AFC North’s fiercest defender—Rodgers’ return isn’t just about performance anymore. It’s about holding ground before things fade away.