Jerome Bettis Urges Steelers to Cut Aaron Rodgers Loose by Midseason
jerome bettis says Aaron Rodgers should be on a short leash in Pittsburgh, and he wants the Steelers ready to move on by midseason if the team is not in playoff position. The Hall of Fame running back’s warning lands as Rodgers continues to delay his commitment for a second straight year and OTAs are set to begin very soon.
Bettis on Rodgers
Bettis said Rodgers gives Pittsburgh the best chance to win now, but he drew a hard line around how long that plan should last. On the Yahoo Sports Daily Show, he said: "I've got to give them the best chance to win now. Aaron Rodgers provides that".
He followed that with a clear deadline: "I am going to keep my eye on the future and have some young guys in the queue ready to go at the quarterback position and give them the opportunity; and, if the Aaron Rodgers experiment does not work then, midseason, we've got to go in a different direction. If we're not in playoff position by midseason, we have to pull the plug on this plan."
Steelers Quarterback Plan
The Steelers won the AFC North in 2025, but Bettis’ remarks show how fragile the quarterback picture still looks. Pittsburgh has struggled to maintain a long-term plan at the position, and Rodgers remains a four-time MVP whose arrival would be about the present, not a long-term reset.
He said the team should keep two younger signal-callers ready in the queue, naming Will Howard and Drew Allar as players who would likely get chances only in the preseason if Rodgers is around. Neither has taken a professional snap, which leaves the Steelers leaning on Rodgers if they want the best immediate chance to win.
Tomlin And McCarthy
The backdrop is a franchise that has already changed its footing. Mike Tomlin resigned unexpectedly, and Mike McCarthy is running the show now, leaving the team to sort out how much patience it should show at quarterback while Rodgers’ commitment remains unresolved.
Bettis put the pressure where it belongs: on results. If Pittsburgh is not in playoff position by midseason, his view is that the Steelers have to pull the plug on the Rodgers plan and move in a different direction, even if that means turning to the young quarterbacks waiting behind him.
