The return of Aaron Rodgers signals yet another win-now season for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are once again looking to snap the decade-long playoff win drought. If you ask franchise legend Ben Roethlisberger, they are well positioned to do so.
“I think this team is a legit playoff team,” Roethlisberger said via his Footbahlin podcast. “They have a legit chance to win games in the playoffs. And I hate to say a Super Bowl contender. I think that it’s always a bold statement, but this is a team that has the potential to get to the Super Bowl for sure.”
Roethlisberger’s early record prediction for the Steelers is 12-5.
That’s one step up from his prediction prior to the 2025 season, though they fell short of that mark with another 10-7 record. But while many of the core pieces are still on the roster, much has changed from a year ago.
The biggest change is a completely new coaching staff, starting with head coach and offensive play-caller Mike McCarthy. Not even the start of Tomlin’s tenure brought about that much change, and they are now led by an offense-first head coach for the first time in the modern era.
To back that up, the Steelers went offense-heavy in the draft with OT Max Iheanachor, WR Germie Bernard, OG Gennings Dunker, and FB Riley Nowakowski, all capable of contributing early on. They also traded for Michael Pittman Jr. and signed Rico Dowdle to bolster the group of playmakers.
Just by virtue of being another year older and more experienced, the young offensive line has the potential to take a giant step forward. They are among the most heavily invested units in the league, and that should start to pay off with a highly respected coaching staff guiding them forward. The sky is the limit if the young O-line can put the pieces together.
The defense added some key pieces as well, with CB Jamel Dean, S Jaquan Brisker, and DL Sebastian Joseph-Day all set to play a large role. New DC Patrick Graham will continue with the same base 3-4 defense, but don’t expect it to look exactly the same. They are still one of the most expensive defenses in the league, but with much better depth than a year ago.
It’s easy to get carried away with the potential this time of year. Injuries will inevitably happen, and some players may fail to live up to expectations. Don’t forget Aaron Rodgers is attempting to do something that nobody outside of Tom Brady has accomplished in his age-43 season.
“There’s a lot of what-ifs,” Roethlisberger said. “You have to keep Aaron upright. You have to keep him healthy. You have to stay healthy. The cohesiveness of a new [offense].”
Their all-in approach isn’t without risk, but the potential is definitely there.
Roethlisberger’s game-by-game prediction will come in a future episode of his show, but his knee-jerk reaction to Rodgers’ return is that this team is a serious contender.