“I don’t believe in Aaron Rodgers” - Eli Manning's ex-teammate raises red flags about 4x NFL MVP's ability to carry Steelers for 17-game season at 40

NFL: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Pittsburgh Steelers - Source: Imagn
Eli Manning's ex-teammate raises red flags about 4x NFL MVP's ability to carry Steelers for 17-game season at 40 - Source: Imagn

Former NFL defensive end and former teammate of Eli Manning, Chris Canty, isn't buying any stock in Aaron Rodgers with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Rodgers signed a one-year deal with the Steelers to be their franchise quarterback. The hope is he will help get Pittsburgh over the top, but Canty thinks the four-time NFL MVP is past his prime and won't have much success this season.

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"It's because I don't believe in the quarterback. I just don't," Canty said on ESPN First Take on August 21. "They've pinned the regression of Aaron Rodgers on injuries he's suffered over the last three years. Whether it's injuries or whether it's age, it doesn't really matter. Here's the thing, as players get older, they don't get healthier. I don't understand why everybody is falling into the hoax that is Aaron Rodgers year over year.
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"We saw with the New York Jets they were better off without him than they were with him with the combination of Trevor Siemian, Tim Boyle and Zach Wilson," Canty added. "They have won two more games than when Aaron Rodgers started all 17 in 2024... When it comes to Rodgers, I struggle to see how he is going to raise the floor for what we've seen from the Pittsburgh Steelers over the last half-decade."
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Canty believes Rodgers' health is still an issue as he isn't the same quarterback he once was. He also thinks the lack of mobility will lead to sacks, which will stall the Steelers' offense.

Canty won Super Bowl XLVI with the Giants.

Aaron Rodgers challenged the Steelers' offensive line

Aaron Rodgers had some choice words for the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line.

Rodgers signed a one-year deal with the Steelers, and he wants to see more from the offensive line. During training camp, Skylar Thompson got knocked down, which Rodgers says shouldn't happen in practice.

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"I walked out there, like, 'what the hell just happened?'" Rodgers said on teammate Cam Heyward's podcast, via CBS Sports. "I told the line, 'Don't you ever let that happen again.' I said, 'We gotta protect each other. You guys are the policemen out there on the field.
"You're the big brothers out there. You protect everybody, from DK [Metcalf] to me to whoever's in there at quarterback, whoever's in their at running back. I don't care if it's preseason practice, whatever, you gotta protect them.'"

Rodgers and the Steelers will open their 2025 NFL season on Sept. 7 against the New York Jets.

Steelers Fans! Check out the latest Pittsburgh Steelers Schedule and dive into the Steelers Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

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Edited by Cole Shelton
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