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ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky has weighed in with a blunt take on A.J. Brown amid growing Patriots trade speculation.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are on the cusp of re-signing four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers to a new contract ahead of the 2025 season. After leading them to their first division title in five years last season, Rodgers could soon be set to reunite with his former Green Bay Packers head coach, Mike McCarthy.
However, some believe the Steelers won’t be a massive threat in the AFC with Rodgers back. One of those people is none other than former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky. He joined The Pat McAfee Show on Friday to share his opinion on what Pittsburgh can accomplish with Rodgers back in the fold in 2026.
Dan Orlovsky Sees the Pittsburgh Steelers as a Playoff Team
GettyAaron Rodgers threw 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions last season
Here is what Orlovsky had to say about what the Steelers can do in 2026 with Rodgers under center:
“I think with Aaron as their starting quarterback, they are a fringe playoff team…I think they’re a nine-win team with Aaron.”
Orlovsky also said that the best thing for this team, not the organization, is to have Rodgers back under center. His career portfolio speaks for itself as he is one of the greatest to ever play the game. That is part of why Orlovsky might be wrong in his prediction. Remember, Rodgers is the only NFL quarterback in history to both throw 400 touchdown passes and post a passer rating of over 100.
Furthermore, the Steelers finished last season ranked 25th in total offense. They ended up hiring one of the best offensive head coaches in the league in McCarthy. Plus, this team won 10 games a season ago before it added two-time 1,000-yard receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher Rico Dowdle in free agency. Those moves were just the start for GM Omar Khan and Co. this offseason. How can this be a nine-win team if it hired a better offensive coach, added more pieces on both sides of the football, and brought back a legendary quarterback?
Don’t Doubt Aaron Rodgers
GettyMike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers spent 13 years together with the Green Bay Packers.
As much as Orlovsky knows about the game, given his 12-year NFL career, he may want to be careful doubting Rodgers like this. People doubted what the Steelers could do with Rodgers last year. A lot of them thought they wouldn’t make the playoffs. They ended up winning that aforementioned AFC North title while Rodgers played like a top-10 signal-caller with a makeshift offensive core.
Going back to his time in Green Bay, Packers fans remember when Rodgers and the team ran the table in 2016 after starting 4-6. Even more vividly, Packers fans remember Rodgers leading the sixth-seeded Packers to a Super Bowl win over the Steelers in 2011, ironically enough. If you want to look at the big picture, Rodgers was passed over by the 49ers and over 20 other teams before Green Bay selected him in the first round back in 2005. San Francisco still hasn’t won a Super Bowl since 1994, and Rodgers is arguably the greatest of all time. Don’t doubt him.
Tim Lindsey A Chicago-area native, Tim Lindsey has covered the world of sports through a variety of different lenses. More specifically, he has been an NFL writer for sites such as Sports Illustrated and PFSN. Notable teams like the Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Steelers have been a major point of emphasis for the longtime writer in the past. More about Tim Lindsey