Recently, on Cam Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast, Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf tossed out a not-so-subtle tease about “running it back” in 2026. “I think we’re gonna do some special things this year. Looking forward to it,” Metcalf said, glancing at Rodgers before adding, “And you know, maybe we can run it back.” Rodgers, who has hinted on The Pat McAfee Show that 2025 could be his final season, cracked a grin and replied, “Maybe.”

But that ‘Maybe’ might have been more like an acceptance that he’s already 41 and feeling the effects of the number. So, when Mike Sando’s annual QB Tiers saw a drop in AR’s rankings, it wasn’t a shade. But it was a reflection of the ‘End of an Era’ in the league. Built on the votes of 50 anonymous coaches and executives, the tiers act as a brutally honest report card for NFL passers. Lamar Jackson finally earned his full Tier 1 respect after years of debate. At the same time, Sam Darnold’s resurgence in Minnesota lifted him into Tier 3. Each shift, as Sando noted, ripples through the league, shaping reputations and cranking up pressure on front offices.

But for every riser, there’s a faller. And this year, the biggest one was a future Hall of Famer. “The biggest faller was Aaron Rodgers,” Sando revealed, explaining the seismic shift in league perception. “He fell from Tier 1… he’s fully down into Tier 3. He’s kind of nestled in between Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa.” Dropping two full tiers in two years, Rodgers is now viewed by many decision-makers as a QB who needs a strong supporting cast to win—a far cry from the offensive cheat code he was for nearly two decades in Green Bay.

But it doesn’t take a lot to understand the ‘Why?’ of this fall. AR’s post-Green Bay period has been nothing short of a drop in form. 2023: Rodgers joins Gang Green, but week 1 Achilles injury ended the season. 2024 was supposed to be a comeback. But it ended with a 5-12 record for the Jets, and Aaron threw for 11 INTs (his 4th season with 10+ interceptions). Now, he wants to have a good Last Dance in Steel City in 2025. So, can’t blame the fall, right?

That leaguewide consensus, however, seems to have missed the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ memo. Head coach Mike Tomlin, whose admiration for Rodgers has been an open secret for years, sees something entirely different. When asked what makes Rodgers an upgrade over last year’s quarterback room, Tomlin didn’t hesitate. “He has a unique resume,” Tomlin told Steelers.com. “And not only a unique resume and experience, but those who have watched practice realize he still has very unique arm talent… He’s a unicorn. He’s one-of-one.” For Tomlin, the conversation about tiers and limitations is irrelevant; he believes he just acquired a mythical creature, not a system-dependent QB3.

Aaron Rodgers becomes Tomlin’s unicorn in a league ready to move on

Mike Tomlin’s “unicorn” label is a bold declaration that directly counters the concerns echoing from Sando’s report. One anonymous executive framed the situation bluntly: “You are hoping for Brett Favre to the Minnesota Vikings, but they had Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin, and a bunch of dudes.” The sentiment is clear: this 41-year-old version of Rodgers, coming off a torn Achilles, might not be the singular force he once was. Others questioned his chemistry with Pittsburgh’s personnel and Arthur Smith’s offense, highlighting his late arrival to the team in June as a significant hurdle.

Yet, inside the Steelers facility, the vibes are telling a different story. The grind of training camp at St. Vincent College seems to have reinvigorated Rodgers after two turbulent seasons with the Jets. The stability and culture provided by Tomlin, the longest-tenured coach in North American professional sports, has provided a welcome change of scenery. In turn, Tomlin sees a player in AR whose legacy is bigger than tier votes. “He loves football,” Tomlin explained. “He has a love affair with this game — one that he’s willing to share with others. He’s passionate about it, and I think it’s contagious.”

Ultimately, the Steelers’ season now hinges on this very conflict of perception. Is Aaron Rodgers a declining Tier 3 quarterback whose physical limitations will be exposed, validating the skepticism of 50 NFL insiders? Or is he the unicorn Tomlin sees in practice every day, a singular talent whose mind, arm, and contagious passion can elevate a 10-win team into a legitimate contender? The league has cast its votes, but in Pittsburgh, the only opinion that matters belongs to the man under center, who is now playing to prove that unicorns are, in fact, real.