Stephen A. Smith takes shots at Aaron Rodgers-led offense while questioning Steelers’ playoff chances 

Aaron Rodgers has a lot of expectations on his shoulders as he prepares for his debut season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. After two underwhelming campaigns with the New York Jets, the four-time NFL MVP joined Mike Tomlin's team on a one-year deal in June. He will take over as the starting quarterback for the upcoming season.

On Tuesday, analyst Stephen A. Smith questioned whether Rodgers' addition will be enough to help the team win a playoff game. According to a tweet by Steelers Depot on X/Twitter, he doubts whether the offense has enough to elevate the team to a Super Bowl run this season.

"You look at the Pittsburgh Steelers, you're gonna have to do more than having an elite defense in order to win a playoff game," Smith said. "But make the playoffs, even though it's a bit compelling, I'm looking at you, you kept T.J. Watt, you still got Patrick Queen and the crew. I mean, like you said, they can cover. You drafted the defensive end in Harmon and to come out, you know, first round, 25th pick, what are you doing with him?

"He's gonna be starting for you. So I'm looking at them and I'm saying, I don't expect their defense to dip. I expect their defense to elevate," Smith added.

"And if your defense elevates within the AFC, and you got a quarterback that doesn't really turn the ball over, which is what Aaron Rodgers is not known to do for the most part, I'm gonna take those things into consideration. And I'm gonna say yeah, that's enough to get them into the playoffs, whether you're gonna win a playoff game. That's a question."

Steelers Depot 7⃣

@Steelersdepot

Stephen A. Smith on whether the Steelers can win a playoff game: “You look at the Pittsburgh Steelers, you're gonna have to do more than having an elite defense in order to win a playoff game. But make the playoffs, even though it's a bit compelling, I'm looking at you, you kept

The Steelers have made quite a few changes to their roster this offseason. Apart from Rodgers, they also signed WR DK Metcalf after a trade with the Seattle Seahawks to bolster their offense.

They also entered a trade with the Miami Dolphins to acquire Super Bowl LVI champion Jalen Ramsey and TE Jonnu Smith while parting ways with Minkah Fitzpatrick. Mike Tomlin and Co. won their first preseason game of the year against the Jacksonville Jaguars before losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week.

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Will Aaron Rodgers play in preseason finale against Carolina Panthers?

Fans have been eagerly waiting to witness their new starting quarterback in action. However, Aaron Rodgers did not play in the Steelers' first two preseason games.

On Tuesday, Mike Tomlin said the veteran quarterback will not be playing during Thursday's showdown against the Carolina Panthers. He will not be using other starters, including DK Metcalf, Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt either, according to NFL insider Andrew Siciliano.

Andrew Siciliano

@AndrewSiciliano

Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Cam Heyward, and TJ Watt won't play for the Steelers this week, per Mike Tomlin.

The Steelers open the regular season on the road against the Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 7, which will likely be when Aaron Rodgers makes his anticipated debut for the franchise.

How do you think Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers will fare next season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.