The Pittsburgh Steelers thought they were signing stability. Instead, they’ve found inconsistency. Aaron Rodgers was expected to bring veteran leadership and elite efficiency to Mike Tomlin’s offense. But nine games later, the numbers and the performances tell a much different story.

Sunday’s 25-10 defeat against the Los Angeles Chargers served as yet another red flag. The numbers reveal a concerning drop-off. Rodgers has already thrown seven interceptions in just nine games, which is more than Justin Fields and Zach Wilson combined in 2024. His performance in Week 10 was historically poor for him. With a completion percentage of 43%, that’s the second lowest of his career, and his yards per pass sit at 4.2, the third lowest he’s ever recorded, while his overall rating dropped to 19.5, marking the lowest point in his career.

In that game, Rodgers completed only 16 of 31 passes for 161 yards, tossed two interceptions, and even got sacked for a safety. His passer rating of 51.6 ranks among the lowest he’s ever had, and the offense struggled, going 2-for-11 on third downs before racking up some meaningless stats in garbage time.

Tomlin didn’t hold back when discussing his quarterback’s performance. When asked about it, he shot back, “How would you?” before adding, “We stunk it up tonight. We’ll be back.”

Rodgers himself acknowledged. “This was not my best performance. I’ve got to play better than this for us to win. Whatever it takes… I’ve got to play better. I will,” he promised.

At 5-4, Pittsburgh still leads the AFC North, but barely. The offense looks stagnant, the timing is off, and Rodgers’ decision-making is shaky. The trade that was supposed to push the Steelers into contention now feels like a gamble gone sideways.

As Pittsburgh’s offense falters, the defense is now unraveling, too. Injuries are mounting in the secondary, and Sunday’s loss only made things worse with two key starters going down.

Steelers’ secondary in crisis as Darius Slay and Joey Porter Jr. go down against Chargers

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ injury nightmare in the secondary deepened Sunday night. During the second quarter of their 25-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, veteran cornerback Darius Slay left the game with a head injury and was later ruled out with a concussion.

Moments later, things got worse. Joey Porter Jr., the team’s other starting corner, went down awkwardly in the third quarter. While he walked off under his own power, his return was uncertain. After the game, head coach Mike Tomlin downplayed long-term concerns, saying Porter was dealing with “bumps and bruises associated with play.”

The Steelers were already feeling the strain on their defense. Starting safety DeShon Elliott is still sidelined with a knee injury, and the pass rush has been hit-or-miss, especially with Alex Highsmith dealing with his own injuries. Both Slay and Porter have been suffering injuries throughout the season, leading to constant reshuffling.

In response, Pittsburgh leaned on its newest acquisition, Jalen Ramsey. Originally brought in for versatility, Ramsey has shifted primarily to safety in recent weeks, lining up there for 70 of his 77 snaps in Week 9. “It brings like a renewed energy for me,” Ramsey said. “But at safety, now I’m just in the meetings and things like that, I’m learning kind of new things … different ways to look at the game from the safety’s point of view,” he added.

With Slay out, veteran James Pierre stepped up as the next man in line. The six-year Steeler, who usually plays special teams, took over as the outside corner and made a crucial third-down breakup in the first half. His role is now even more vital as Pittsburgh scrambles to fill the gaps in its battered secondary.

For defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, the answer might lie in the past. He pointed out Rod Woodson’s late-career switch from corner to safety as a model for Ramsey. “That would probably be a nice blueprint,” Austin said. “Obviously, because, you know, Rod, Hall of Fame, great player, great dude.”

Ramsey’s transition might prove more necessary than an experiment, and for a battered Steelers defense, it couldn’t have come at a better time.