One former Steelers star is not too thrilled about Pittsburgh landing Aaron Rodgers.
Ryan Clark thinks that the Steelers are making a mistake in signing Rodgers, saying that fans should look it as a “worst-case scenario.”
“This is the worst-case scenario for Pittsburgh Steelers fans. It continues to keep you mired in mediocrity,” Clark said Thursday during an appearance on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.” “Will this team be better? Have they gotten better in the quarterback room? Absolutely. Will they contend for that championship that Pittsburgh Steelers people, and fans, and organization think is the standard?
“No, they won’t. … They’ll be fighting for a wild card spot. They’ll probably be home week one of the playoffs and again be looking for a franchise quarterback. If you told me you were gonna pair one of this era’s greatest coaches with one of this era’s greatest quarterbacks, I’d expect greatness. That is not what we’ll get.”
Rodgers, 41, agreed to a one-year deal with the Steelers pending a physical, the team announced Thursday night.
Details of the contract have yet to be released.
Clark, who spent eight years of his NFL career in Pittsburgh, has criticized his former team going after Rodgers in free agency multiple times, saying in April that he was disappointed in how the Steelers were handling the situation.
“It makes me sick, to be honest,” Clark said during an appearance on ESPN’s “Get Up.”
“Unless Omar, the general manager, Omar Khan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, has some sort of promise or some sort of lean on Aaron Rodgers believing that he is going to come back and play football, and if he does make that decision, he’s going to be a Pittsburgh Steeler,” Clark said. “I feel like this has been mishandled already.”
Clark also said he believes the Steelers were being “held hostage” by the 10-time Pro Bowler who has “actually never done anything for you.”
“What has Aaron Rodgers done in the last two years or since leaving Green Bay that says he should be afforded this type of time that says you should give him the sort of respect that keeps your franchise at bay?” Clark said.”
“It’s been a bad play by the Pittsburgh Steelers already,” Clark added.
Rodgers, after playing one full season with the Jets after an Achilles injury in 2023, will now hope for better fortunes in Pittsburgh.