Aaron Rodgers, 41, is now the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback. This was after the Steelers declined to re-sign Russell Wilson, who capably guided the club to a 10-7 record in 2024, and after declining to sign Justin Fields, who had shown flashes of brilliance – not to mention consistency – in leading the men in black and gold to a 4-2 record before head coach Mike Tomlin decided to replace him with Wilson.

Now, it’s no big deal that the Steelers decided to part ways with Wilson, who, like Rodgers, is well past his prime. It is a big deal that they didn’t choose to give Fields an extended shot at being their undisputed starter at QB, as Fields is just 26.

Before joining the Steelers, Fields played for the Chicago Bears. This badly coached team did a poor (and that’s being kind) job of developing him into a legitimate starter who could man the QB1 position for a decade or more.

However, despite his well-chronicled inconsistency, the former Ohio State star had shown that he had the potential to be a capable starter. He showed decent arm talent, above-average mobility and escapability, and the ability to rally the troops when the chips were down. He even engineered several fourth-quarter comebacks.

In Pittsburgh – granted, the sample size was small – he showed that he’d matured, not being as reckless with his throws and running when the occasion called for it, rather than resorting to using his legs the moment the pocket started to break down.

Despite this, there was controversy when Wilson replaced Fields as the starter in Pittsburgh, and it was warranted since Fields had shown that he could capably lead an offense.

Then, there was Rodgers.

Coming back from an Achilles tear in 2023, no one knew what to expect from the then-40-year-old.

In the end, he had a decent season, at least numbers-wise. He passed for 3,897 yards, throwing 28 TDs against 11 interceptions. The problem was, he was inconsistent, as in one game he would look good, and the next awful.

More than that, he often looked old. It was obvious the Achilles injury had reduced his mobility, which had long been a strong suit. Rodgers struggled to evade the rush on many nights and was hit hard and often. The arm talent was there, but the escapability? Not so much.

Back to the Steelers.

Now, they have Rodgers instead of Fields, Wilson, and the young quarterback Wil Howard they chose in the bygone NFL Draft.  Oh, and don’t forget that Kenny Pickett (not that it's a big loss) is also long gone. Instead of thinking long-term with Fields or a good, young QB prospect, they have opted for a band-aid solution in Rodgers.

Should the former Packers legend get injured or underperform, the Steelers will be left with Mason Rudolph, a savvy veteran who is a capable backup but not starting material, or the rookie Howard.

If either scenario happens, the Steelers will find themselves back where they started at the end of 2025, with a hole to fill at quarterback after what could very well be a tumultuous season with Rodgers under center.

That inability to see the big picture could make for a lost season and many lost fans, and it’s only natural that patience would wear very thin after years of watching the team fail to fill its most important position due to questionable, if not incompetent, decision making.