Ben Roethlisberger praises Aaron Rodgers’ debut but warns about hits and sacks
Steelers great lauds Rodgers’ passing in 34-32 win over Jets but says 41-year-old quarterback cannot absorb repeated heavy contact
Aaron Rodgers delivered a four-touchdown performance in his Pittsburgh Steelers debut Sunday, but former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said Tuesday he is concerned about the physical toll the hits and sacks Rodgers absorbed will take over the course of a season.
Rodgers threw for 244 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-32 victory over his former team at MetLife Stadium, helping the Steelers open the season 1-0. The 41-year-old completed throws both downfield and on short patterns, prompting Roethlisberger to describe the passer’s arm and decision-making as encouraging on his “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger” podcast.
"The positive that I saw was Aaron Rodgers threw the ball. Listen, his arm works just fine," Roethlisberger said. "He can throw the ball all over the place, down the field, short passes, screens, spread the ball around."
Roethlisberger’s praise was tempered by concern about four sacks and several hard hits Rodgers took during the game. "My concern is going to be, moving forward, can Aaron take a beating like that every week? Not at that age," Roethlisberger said, noting that some of the hits left Rodgers coming off the ground even when he was not formally sacked.
Rodgers, a former league MVP, signed a one-year deal with the Steelers this offseason after two seasons with the New York Jets. He relished the victory over the Jets, saying afterward that it was satisfying to prove doubters associated with his former organization wrong. "I was happy to beat everybody associated with the Jets," Rodgers said. "There were probably people in the organization that didn’t think I could play anymore. It was nice to remind those people that I still can."
Rodgers’ stint in New York began amid heavy publicity in 2023 but was marred by a season-ending Achilles injury four plays into his Jets career. He returned to start for the Jets in 2024, going 5-12 as the team underwent organizational upheaval: coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas were fired midway through that season and replaced by coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey, who ultimately moved on from Rodgers.
In Pittsburgh, Roethlisberger urged the team around Rodgers to improve protection if the Steelers hope to contend for a championship. "It makes me nervous, the rushing game and the sack game," Roethlisberger said. "If that doesn’t improve, we’re not going to have a quarterback very long and it’s going to be a rough season."
The sacks in Sunday’s game were not all attributed by Roethlisberger to poor decision-making by Rodgers; he said replay showed several were the result of breakdowns in protection or coverage. Still, repeated heavy contact on a veteran quarterback raised immediate durability questions for the Steelers.
The Steelers will host the Seattle Seahawks in their home opener Sunday at 1 p.m. The game will provide an early test of whether Pittsburgh’s offensive line adjustments can reduce pressure and limit the kinds of hits that prompted Roethlisberger’s warning.
Rodgers’ debut offered clear passing production and a morale-boosting win, but the spotlight has shifted quickly to whether the 41-year-old can remain healthy through the season if he continues to face frequent hits and sacks.