Former Steelers QB Calls Out Aaron Rodgers Critics
Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch believes the lede is being buried when it comes to Aaron Rodgers' return to the team.
In a recent interview with TMZ, Batch stated that Rodgers' production (3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, seven interceptions) and overall level of play with the Steelers last year has been overlooked and is a leading factor in why the organization welcomed him back with open arms.
"People forget that," Batch said. "And, of course, I understand around Steelers Nation, they look at the end result, which was the loss in the playoffs to the Texans. And he didn't play his best game at that particular point. But when you look at overall for the season that he had, it far exceeded anything else that anybody expected around Steelers Nation. That's why they wanted to run it back with him."
The McCarthy Factor
Another reason Batch is confident in what Rodgers can provide entering his age-43 season in Pittsburgh is the fact that he's reuniting with his former Green Bay Packers head coach in Mike McCarthy, giving the future Hall of Famer both a head start at this stage of the offseason and a significant boost on the year as a whole.
"I think the biggest thing for me, even though you have the additions at the wide receiver group, it's the offense that is going to be completely different than what he had last year in Arthur Smith's system. Him and Mike McCarthy, they've been together for 18 years. He understands this system. So, even though he has not been in the offseason program up until this point, he is so far ahead of everybody else because he essentially has a PhD in this offense, something that he's been able to have four league MVPs."
What Do Steelers Need Out of Rodgers?
Asking Rodgers to kick into high gear and revert back to the level of play he showcased at the beginning of the 2020s when he won back-to-back MVPs with the Packers is unfair and unrealistic.
He's not nearly as mobile as he once was, and his other physical tools have dissipated as he's aged. Rodgers is nothing more than an average starter as he enters what he plans on being his last season before retiring, but Pittsburgh might not need much more than that in order for it to be competitive in 2026.
Playing in a pass-happy offense that he's comfortable in under McCarthy with a more talented group of wide receivers should make Rodgers' job easier, certainly more so than it was in Arthur Smith's system last year.
With one of the better running back duos in the league with Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle, a strong one-two punch at tight end with Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington as well as an improved offensive line, all the pieces are there for the Steelers' offense to be as productive as it has been in a number of years.
It all comes down to Rodgers, however, and as long as he remains a capable, solid starting quarterback, points could be relatively easy to find for Pittsburgh.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/steelers/onsi as Former Steelers QB Calls Out Aaron Rodgers Critics.
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This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 8:00 AM.