Aaron Rodgers Behind Baker Mayfield in Week 1 QB Rankings
· Yahoo Sports
Aaron Rodgers is set to begin his final NFL season and do so as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. But what version of Rodgers will the team be getting in 2026?
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The veteran quarterback is 42 years old and has been in the NFL since 2005. That certainly influences how he is perceived both inside and outside of Pittsburgh. That includes how he is seen in rankings of all the starting quarterbacks in the league.
Aaron Rodgers’ Spot in Week 1 QB Rankings
CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell dropped his Week 1 NFL QB power rankings Wednesday morning and put Rodgers in the No. 18 spot, one spot behind Baker Mayfield.
“Aaron Rodgers can’t pair the same, strong mobility he once had with his generational arm talent, but the old man still has some juice in his right arm as well as the same, historic efficiency,” Podell wrote. “His 24-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio ranked seventh in the league while some of his other efficiency metrics ranked just above or below league average. Not bad for a 42-year-old. Now, he gets to run his ideal, West Coast offense after being reunited with Mike McCarthy.”
There is no arguing with the take that Rodgers is not the same mobile player he once was. Father Time has taken its toll and that’s to be expected. But Podell also points out how the veteran still has legendary arm talent and put up solid numbers in 2025. He had 24 touchdowns compared to only seven interceptions, which represented his lowest interception total in a full season since 2021 with the Green Bay Packers.
The elite mind is still there. What is unknown is how Rodgers will look physically in his final NFL season.
Mayfield No Longer Option as Rodgers’ Successor
Mayfield ranks one spot above Rodgers in these rankings and also just took home a nice payday in the form of a three-year extension worth $165 million.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback was connected to the Steelers as a future option recently as he was set to play on the final year of his deal in 2026. Instead, he and the team came to an agreement before the season began, removing the possibility of him signing with the Steelers next summer.
That means the Steelers will need to look elsewhere for Rodgers’ successor in 2027. The likely options, as of right now, are Drew Allar and Will Howard battling it out for the starting job. The team can also pursue options in the draft or via free agency, but the hope is Mike McCarthy is the quarterback whisperer and can help Howard and/or Allar take over next season.
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