Steelers legend Jerome Bettis dives into Aaron Rodgers waiting game, team's NFL Draft needs

The Pittsburgh Steelers brought successful Aaron Rodgers to salvage a mates years of mediocre backmost play, taking a gamble connected the then-41-year-old.

But determination were hardly immoderate issues, arsenic the Steelers were erstwhile again successful the playoffs, arsenic Mike Tomlin again finished supra .500.

However, Rodgers, similar past year, is playing the waiting crippled and remains a escaped agent.

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Aaron Rodgers (8) of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks connected looks connected during the nationalist anthem anterior to an NFL shot crippled against the Baltimore Ravens astatine Acrisure Stadium connected Jan. 4, 2026 successful Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)

It does look similar successful each likelihood that Rodgers volition instrumentality to Pittsburgh for a 22nd NFL season, and 1 Steelers fable believes that the squad doesn't truly person galore different answers.

"When you person nary alternative, past you person nary choice," Jerome Bettis told Fox News Digital. And I deliberation there's immoderate players that are afforded a small spot much latitude than others, and Aaron Rodgers is 1 of them, particularly erstwhile you are constricted from a backmost perspective, successful presumption of extent and experience, right?"

Bettis, though, really sees a affirmative successful Rodgers' wait-and-see.

"There is an accidental for our fig 2 feline to get a batch of reps, a batch of opportunity, right? So there's immoderate positives to this, due to the fact that you're letting the young guys get an accidental to tally the discourtesy and benignant of larn the discourtesy arsenic they go."

Pittsburgh Steelers caput manager Mike Tomlin walks disconnected the tract with Aaron Rodgers (8) of the Pittsburgh Steelers aft a 29-24 triumph against the Detroit Lions astatine Ford Field. The crippled took spot successful Detroit, Michigan, connected Dec. 21, 2025. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

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Bettis "of course" understands that players could beryllium upset by waiting connected their starting backmost and wants immoderate "continuity" successful the locker room.

"I'd beryllium like, what's going on? What are we doing? But present that, you went done it, you cognize the value, you cognize that Aaron is simply a squad player, right? He understands the culture. So, present it's not that large of a concern," Bettis continued.

The Steelers, for the astir part, person had beauteous accordant backmost play for 2 decades, but that has travel astatine the disbursal elsewhere, Bettis said. With respective holes to fill, Bettis is teaming up with The Athletic and its NFL Draft guide, "The Beast," and gathering Steelers fans successful Pittsburgh to sermon what they privation successful this month's NFL Draft, which volition instrumentality spot successful Pittsburgh.

"They tin look astatine players that they don't cognize about, players that are possibly being talked about, that they don't person immoderate existent knowing of. Now they get that truly elaborate accusation astir immoderate of the young guys that they're gonna beryllium rooting for the adjacent 10, 15 years," Bettis said. "You can't perchance cognize a batch connected each these guys, and that's wherefore The Beast is gonna beryllium truthful adjuvant and truthful utile for the fans, truthful that they're up to day knowing of who that young, young antheral is, um, that's perchance being drafted. ... 

Running backmost Jerome Bettis #36 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs with the shot against the Denver Broncos during the 1997 play AFC Championship crippled astatine Three Rivers Stadium connected January 11, 1998 successful Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Broncos defeated the Steelers 24-21. (George Gojkovich/Getty Images)

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"They person fto the different pieces deteriorate successful the consciousness of, the moving crippled struggled, the receivers struggled. So, they've got to bash a batch to assistance the quarterback," Bettis said, adding antiaircraft assistance is necessary, too. "And, I mean, get the receivers, get the violative enactment help, get the moving backmost presumption figured out. They gotta bash immoderate things earlier you get to the quarterback, due to the fact that close now, the different pieces aren't bully enough."

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