Aaron Rodgers 'Can Still F--king Throw It,' QB's Arm Strength Praised by NFL DC Amid Steelers Rumors

Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers is rumored to be returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers for his 22nd season in the NFL, and he still has the respect of the rest of the league.

While speaking to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, one defensive coordinator who faced Rodgers last year praised the 42-year-old's arm strength while assessing his skills at this stage of his career.

"His arm strength is still like it was 10 years ago—he can still throw it," the DC said. "His movement is what's left him a little bit. He can still maneuver in the pocket, but he can't get away the way he used to. His arm strength is what it always was. The difference is back in the day, you'd worry about him scrambling, getting out and creating explosive [plays]. Now he can't do that, and he doesn't want to get hit. But he can still f--king throw it."

Rodgers completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 16 games with the Steelers last year. Pittsburgh won the AFC North with a 10-7 record and lost to the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card Round. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported last week that sources said Rodgers is "likely" to continue playing for the Steelers in 2026.

Still, the Steelers could be doing themselves a disservice by fielding an aging signal-caller. The DC who spoke to Breer explained the blueprint for attacking Rodgers as "when defenses got the Steelers in obvious passing situations, the focus was on changing the picture on him coverage-wise as much as possible and trying to get free rushers at him. The logic there: While you won't fool him, you're cooked if you give him the answers to the test. And if you can get him to hold the ball for a second longer and you can hit him, you can aggravate him."

Pittsburgh is hoping to remain in the playoff picture in 2026, so it will be interesting to see if Rodgers can maintain his steady production in year 22.