When Aaron Rodgers signed with the Black and Gold, the Steelers’ Nation buzzed with questions. Will he fit in our system? Does he actually understand Pittsburgh? Mike Florio even went nuclear at the time, calling Rodgers “a carpet bagger” and “an opportunist,” adding that the Steelers were “selling their souls” to land him.

But once the 41-year-old quarterback joined the Steelers locker room, the players loved him. His energy. His leadership. And his plays on the field. Everything just made sense. But more than halfway through the season, the narrative is shifting. Insider Mike Garafolo put words to what Blitzburgh’s been quietly whispering.

“Something’s bothering me with the Steelers right now. Aaron Rodgers’ reactions to his own teammates, to maybe himself, I don’t know. There’s been a lot of this. I don’t love it, right? He strongly hinted that this could be his last NFL season. He hasn’t really closed the door or solidified that. I’m not gonna pretend like I know what’s going on in his head, but this leads me to believe the whole thing’s just not on solid ground right now.”

The night against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday was rough, and since then, the doubts are creeping in. A mistimed pass to running back Jaylen Warren. An overthrow to wide receiver DK Metcalf that should’ve been six points. By halftime, the Steelers were 3-12 and had no life. 

When Rodgers finally spoke after the 25-10 loss, he took responsibility for it.“A lot of stuff wasn’t working. We were bad on third down. I was just a little bit off…I missed, obviously, some throws, for sure. And then we weren’t getting guys open, and just put it all together, times the guys were open. I missed some throws I usually make,” Rodgers said.

It was the kind of self-accountability you want in your quarterback, but when it comes wrapped in fatigue and frustration, fans read between the lines. He’s commanding the room, but he’s also showing cracks. And that’s the flip side of it all.

All this time, when Rodgers slung it well, everything was rainbows and sunshine. But the moment he makes one mistake, the questions start popping if he was the right choice by head coach Mike Tomlin. And this is what Tomlin has to say about this situation.

Coach Mike Tomlin still has Aaron Rodgers’ back

Mike Tomlin isn’t hitting the panic button yet. At least, not in public. Just days after that mess in L.A., he stood firm when reporters circled the topic. “Sunday night was what it was,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “But I have no long-term reservations about his ability to play the position and play the position at a high level for us.”

But even his steady tone couldn’t quite erase the noise coming out of Steel City. Rodgers completed just 51.6 per cent of his passes, his worst mark in five years. He took three sacks, including a brutal one from Khalil Mack in the end zone. Still, Tomlin refused to label it an “off night.”

“I’m not going to chalk it up to an off night, but there are no long-term concerns,” Tomlin said.

For now, Tomlin’s betting on experience over panic. Rodgers has bounced back before. But if Rodgers keeps slipping like this, Tomlin might end up paying the price for mistakes that aren’t even his.