Aaron Rodgers and Mike Tomlin played it cool all offseason, but the truth slipped out this week – their weekly phone calls were the worst-kept secret in Pittsburgh. Rodgers finally admitted it on The Pat McAfee Show, revealing how Tomlin’s persistence and maybe his no-nonsense charm lured the 40-year-old QB to the Steelers over other lukewarm suitors. This wasn’t just a business deal. Rodgers made it personal. He wanted Tomlin, but this new partnership hinges on balance.

Rodgers didn’t sign up to carry the offense alone at 40. He needs a run game to survive. The Steelers know it, too. As one franchise legend put it bluntly: asking Rodgers to sling it 40 times a game misses the point entirely. Pittsburgh’s success depends on meeting in the middle. Turns out, Aaron Rodgers didn’t come to Pittsburgh to play hero ball every Sunday. When former Steelers RB Jerome Bettis stopped by The Dan Patrick Show, the conversation took a sharp turn after someone brought up Najee Harris‘s exit.

The Bus didn’t hold back – he loved Najee’s growth but made one thing clear: This offense isn’t about to turn into a pass-happy circus just because Rodgers and DK Metcalf are in town. “If you ask Aaron Rodgers to throw the ball 40 times, that’s a mistake. Okay?” Bettis said, his tone leaving no room for debate. “And Aaron would tell you that’s a mistake. I don’t think he wants to throw the ball 40 times at 40 years old. Right?” There it was – the Hall of Famer calling the shot before the first preseason snap.  

Bettis knows Steelers football better than most, and when he says something this definitive, you can bet Mike Tomlin’s already heard about it. The real question now isn’t about arm talent – it’s about whether Pittsburgh’s brass will listen before their new QB has to say it himself. But here’s the bigger problem. Pittsburgh’s entire offensive identity is suddenly in question. The Steelers didn’t just lose Najee Harris; they lost their North Star in the run game. And Bettis wasn’t shy about what that means.

Aaron Rodgers’ success hinges on the run?

The Steelers have a problem they can’t outrun. For all the flashy moves this offseason – Rodgers’s arrival, DK Metcalf’s big-play potential – Pittsburgh’s offense still hinges on one stubborn truth: they have to run the ball. Jerome Bettis didn’t just suggest it; he spelled it out like a playbook warning label. “I just think they have got to run the football,” he said, his voice carrying the weight of a man who once was the Steelers’ ground game. “You want [Rodgers] to play action… that’s when he’s at his best.”

But here’s the rub. Pittsburgh’s run game has been stuck in neutral for years. Since 2019, no team has averaged fewer yards per carry (3.9). That’s not a slump, it’s an identity crisis. And while the front office spent the offseason loading up on weapons, they barely touched the offensive line. Same faces, same questions. Broderick Jones shifts to left tackle, but his right-side struggles linger. Troy Fautanu returns from injury, but his durability remains a gamble. Zach Frazier shined as a rookie, but one standout center can’t block for three.

Here’s what Bettis understands that the front office seems to ignore: play-action doesn’t work if nobody fears your run game. Rodgers’ play-action magic in Green Bay? It worked because defenses had to respect Aaron Jones. Two safeties will cover those beautiful deep balls to Metcalf if Pittsburgh can’t force linebackers to cheat up. And when December hits in the AFC North? You can’t ask a 40-year-old QB to win shootouts in the snow.

The most baffling part? This isn’t some secret flaw. Pro Football Focus has them ranked 21st. Film nerds have been screaming about it all summer. Even casual fans see the disconnect. Yet the Steelers keep acting like Rodgers‘s arm can paper over six years of rushing futility. That’s how you waste a legend’s final seasons. And how Mike Tomlin might finally lose the locker room.