“I say all the time, there’s a big difference between guys that come back that are Super Bowl champions and guys that aren’t,” TJ Watt said last year before yet another first-round exit. “And that’s not a slight at the guys that aren’t. I’m one of those guys right now.” That line hit a little heavier when you realized he wasn’t just being reflective—he was being real. Eight seasons, zero playoff wins. Not exactly the legacy you’d expect from one of the most feared defenders in the league.
So when Watt held out this offseason, it wasn’t just a money grab. It was a message: he’s done chasing greatness without the jewelry. The Steelers got the memo. After months of contract drama, trade whispers, and fanbase anxiety, they handed Watt a three-year, $123M deal. A bag that doesn’t just say “thanks for the sacks,” it says, “we’re riding with you.” But while the deal locked in their defensive cornerstone, Rich Eisen thinks it also said something louder.
Pittsburgh’s urgency isn’t just about keeping Watt—it’s about rewriting how this era gets remembered, especially when they’ve got a 41-year-old quarterback under center. “I absolutely would have,” Eisen said when asked if he’d have given TJ that massive deal, explaining with a couple of legit reasons. “I told you why, and I’ll tell you again. It’s because A: he deserves it. B: It’s what the market bears.” And then came reason number three—and suddenly, Aaron Rodgers was part of the story.
“C: They made their bed with a 41-year-old quarterback, who’s got one year to take this team to at least the second round of the playoffs. To at least a a playoff win. To at least a Super Bowl run that won’t fall apart in week 12 like it did last year with Russell Wilson. So, you got to make sure this is all done and buttoned up and you have everybody at your disposal to damn the torpedoes.” It’s the brutal cycle Mike Tomlin and Co. are desperate to break this year.
Newly signed Quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers Aaron Rodgers 8 dons a Steelers helmet and works out at the Steelers Mini Camp on June 10, 2025 in Pittsburgh. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY PIT2025061003 ARCHIExCARPENTER
You don’t need a history book—or even a playoff bracket—to know the Steelers have been stuck in postseason purgatory since Antonio Brown was still doing end-zone dances in black and gold. Every January feels like déjà vu in Pittsburgh: one-and-done or don’t-show-up-at-all. This year, they’re betting against history. Yearning to win a playoff game with a 41-year-old Rodgers under center. It’s the script we’ve seen before, but rarely. Over five decades of NFL playoff history and only 12 times has a 40-year-old or older QB won a game in January.
The Steelers want to make it 13th, and Rich Eisen believes that for that very reason, Tomlin needs every weapon in his arsenal. Thus, a contract extension of TJ Watt happened. “I don’t know how many more, you know, cliched metaphors I can throw out here,” Eisen added. “But TJ Watt sitting at home holding out contractually is not your best foot forward when you’ve got Aaron Rodgers in the, in your fold with one year to make it happen. This had to get done. This had to get done. And they did it, and they had to do it at this freight.”
In one way or another, Aaron Rodgers had something to do with TJ Watt’s contract, at least that’s what Eisen is suggesting. Meanwhile, with Rodgers at the center, the Steelers are expected to cut ties with one of their QBs.
Dark clouds looming over Skylar Thompson’s future with the Steelers
Earlier this offseason, the Steelers were one of the quarterback-needy teams, and rightfully so. Both of last year’s quarterbacks were gone, and so was Kenny Pickett a year before. Tomlin brought Mason Rudolph to the Steel City again, with Skylar Thompson, a former seventh-round pick with a rocky NFL career, looking for an opportunity. But amidst the uncertainties in their QB room, the Steelers were flirting with Aaron Rodgers. And when Rodgers arrived on a one-year, $13.65M deal, everything shifted.
Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot recently addressed the roster expectations in his 53-man roster projection report. The writing was on the wall: he wasn’t going to include four QBs in his roster predictions. And certainly so, he excluded Skylar Thompson. “I don’t slot Howard’s chances at 100% and Skylar Thompson’s veteran resume could give him an early camp edge,” he said. “Still, Howard is the clear favorite to win the No. 3 job. Rodgers and Rudolph are entrenched in the starter and top backup spots.”
Rodgers is the ultimate QB in the 2025 season, which will reportedly be his last. Meanwhile, Rudolph returned with a two-year $8M deal, and he seems reliable. The guy recorded 1,530 yards and nine TDs (nine picks as well), with a passer rating of 80.1. So expect him to be a QB2, as per Kozora. Howard, on the other hand, is a developmental prospect. He’s safe in the Steel City, and his 4,010-yard, 35-touchdown senior season has earned him real consideration.
All in all, Thompson struggled to put impressive numbers across three seasons in the NFL—721 passing yards, one touchdown, three picks, and a 66.1 rating. It’s hard to ignore, and that’s precisely why he’s not in the 53-man roster prediction of Alex Kozora.
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