Going into his second season as the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Arthur Smith is looking to turn what was a rather “meh” offense in 2024 into a formidable one in 2025. The former Atlanta Falcons head coach is also looking to turn around an offense that has been anywhere from abysmally bad to barely passable under past OCs Randy Fitchner and Matt Canada. To those former coaches’ defense, the Steelers’ offensive situation hasn’t been great in the last several years, with the quarterback position being a revolving door of what was left of Ben Roethlisberger, the underwhelming Kenny Pickett, backup Mason Rudolph, the shaky Justin Fields, and the obviously washed Russell Wilson. But this year, the Steelers have brought in future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Now, this isn’t exactly what I would call an “ideal” move. Rodgers is obviously a stopgap QB, being on the wrong side of 40 and on a one-year deal. And if his past few seasons with the New York Jets are any indication, he’s certainly lost a step. But, he’s still a former Super Bowl champion and a 4-time MVP. So can he effectively run Arthur Smith’s offense and lead Pittsburgh back to their rightful place atop the AFC North? We ran a simulation in Madden 25, and honestly, the results might surprise you.
Aaron Rodgers’ Steelers Are Only Viable With Another Wide Receiver
In order for the Steelers to get the most out of an aging Rodgers and run Arthur Smith’s offense efficiently, another wide receiver option will be needed. DK Metcalf is a physical specimen with good hands and can hustle, and Calvin Austin III is another great speed threat who can spread the field. But, in the case of Austin, he isn’t a true WR 2. Therefore, if you want Rodgers to succeed, you need another WR who can at least compete to be a WR 2, or at least settle into being a reliable No. 3.
The first simulations we did with Aaron Rodgers were done as part of an experiment to determine who would have the better season in 2025: Aaron Rodgers or Kirk Cousins. In the one simulation we did with Rodgers on the Steelers, it wasn’t pleasant. The future Hall of Famer struggled mightily and had what would be the worst season of his career, throwing 24 touchdowns to 26 interceptions.
However, there was one simulation that we had plenty of success with.
Following up on what receiving options he could have in Pittsburgh, we ran a simulation that gave Rodgers free agent wide receiver Gabe Davis. We chose Davis because not only is he a free agent — unlike fellow alleged Steelers target Allen Lazard — but also because he has had a meeting with Pittsburgh this offseason.
Using the same save file we used to determine what a matchup between Rodgers and Myles Garrett would look like, the Steelers went on to finish their season at 12-5, good enough to edge out the Cincinnati Bengals (who also finished 12-5) and win the AFC North. It’s a wild result, and one I’m not predicting could actually happen this year. But weirder things have happened.
During the regular season, Rodgers started every game, throwing for 25 touchdowns while throwing 13 interceptions. Not great, but we’ve seen worse. He totaled 3,683 yards on the season and completed 69% of his 495 attempts.
Overall, it was Pittsburgh’s running game that carried the offense. Jaylen Warren — who’s inherited the premier back position from Najee Harris following his release — rushed for 1,081 yards and recorded 11 TDs in the process. This means that in order for Arthur Smith’s offense to work, Rodgers has to do his best not to embarrass himself, whilst Warren turns into everything he’s looked like he can become when given more reps.
How far can the Steelers go? Well, continuing our simulation, they beat the Jets (???) in the Wild Card round 30-27, giving coach Mike Tomlin his first playoff win since 2016. Unfortunately, that’s as far as Pittsburgh could go, as they’d lose to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round. The good news is that they weren’t outclassed, narrowly losing in a 42-41 barn burner.
