After news of Aaron Rodgers joining the Pittsburgh Steelers broke earlier this week, some fans were fired-up for the upcoming season. Others, like ESPN analyst Ryan Clark, were not.
Clark didn't mince words when he heard Rodgers planned to play for the Steelers in 2025, a now-confirmed move that was the league's worst-kept secret during a fatiguing offseason of speculation over Rodgers's NFL future.
Clark joined SportsCenter on Thursday to share his feelings about the 41-year-old donning the black-and-gold this year. And spoiler alert: he's not happy about it.
"This is the worst case scenario for Pittsburgh Steelers fans," Clark said. "[Rodgers] continues to keep you mired in mediocrity... Will they contend for that championship that Pittsburgh Steelers people and fans and the organization think is the standard? No, they won't.
"They'll be fighting for a wild-card spot, they'll probably be home Week 1 of the playoffs and again be looking for a franchise quarterback. If you told me you were going to pair one of this era's greatest coaches with one of this era's greatest quarterbacks, I'd expect greatness. That is not what we'll get. Maybe six years ago, but not now."
Aaron Rodgers signing with the Steelers is the worse case scenario. I think he’ll play good enough, & the team will be just good enough to miss out on a franchise guy next year! One of the greatest players of the era, & one of its greatest head coaches… just years too late.… pic.twitter.com/Py46A0N0M2
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) June 5, 2025
Clark went on a similar fiery rant after the Steelers passed on Shedeur Sanders multiple times during the 2025 NFL draft, making clear at the time that he didn't want to see the franchise get bullied by Rodgers.
Now that Rodgers is set to join the Steelers on a reported one-year deal, Clark expressed his visible frustration with the Steelers—who haven't won a playoff game since 2016—continuing to settle for "mediocrity."
Rodgers, a four-time NFL MVP, is no longer the quarterback he once was with the Green Bay Packers. That is a fact. It's also a fact that Rodgers's disappointing two-year stint with the New York Jets was defined by drama, bad football and the kind of eye-rolling nonsense that coach Mike Tomlin surely won't stand for.
At the very least, it'll be interesting to see how Rodgers meshes with Tomlin this fall. But, as Clark bitterly warns, don't expect the Super Bowl to be coming home to Pittsburgh anytime soon.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ryan Clark Had Brutally Honest Take on Aaron Rodgers Signing With Steelers.
