ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith has never hidden the fact that he is a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He credits his fandom to former Steelers running back Franco Harris being the first football player he’d ever seen.
On Monday, his favorite team officially announced they have re-signed quarterback Aaron Rodgers to a one-year deal. He rejoins Pittsburgh for a second season, reuniting with his former head coach with the Green Bay Packers, Mike McCarthy.
McCarthy replaces Mike Tomlin, with whom Pittsburgh parted ways after 19 years. Together, the two aim to win their second Super Bowl together, first doing so with the Packers to cap off the 2010 season.
Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
However, Smith isn’t confident that Pittsburgh can get it done with the four-time MVP under center. During Tuesday’s episode of ESPN’s “First Take”, he claimed that with Rodgers as the starting quarterback, the Steelers aren’t considered Super Bowl contenders.
“He’s good enough to allow them to continue to be mediocre,” Smith said. “And what do I mean by mediocre? You ain’t a real championship contender, and you don’t stink. You’re right in the middle of the road, which means that you’ll never be able to build but so much through the draft.”
"He's good enough to allow them to continue to be mediocre. … You should be able to do a better job finding a quarterback than the Pittsburgh Steelers have done all of these years."
—@stephenasmith on the Steelers re-signing Aaron Rodgers 🏈 pic.twitter.com/td41bWwdRJ— First Take (@FirstTake) May 19, 2026
Rodgers had solid numbers in his first season with the Steelers. The 10-time Pro Bowler completed 327-of-498 passes for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 94.8 passer rating.
Pittsburgh went 10-7, winning the AFC North title and earning a playoff appearance. However, they were quickly eliminated in the wild card round by the Houston Texans, losing 30-6 at home.
Ultimately, that’s about as far as Smith believes Rodgers, who is 42 years old, can take the Steelers. While Pittsburgh may remain firmly in the playoff conversation, competing for a Super Bowl is out of the question for Smith.
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