Dan O says Aaron Rodgers returning to the Steelers is ‘bad’ for the organization 👀 | Pat McAfee Show

0:00 Pittsburgh Steelers.

0:01 The hell's going on over there, Dan?

0:03 Oo, in your eyes, there was mixed reports going on.

0:05 A lot of mixed reporting going on within Pittsburgh.

0:08 Um, Doran Dickerson, scoring Doran Dickerson went to pit, played in the NFL,

0:14 is part of 937, the fan.

0:15 He reported yesterday morning that he heard

0:18 that uh Aaron Rogers was coming in this weekend.

0:20 Uh, and I don't know if he reported to sign or not.

0:23 Sign.

0:23 Ian Raport quote tweets goes, "Yep,

0:25 they're planning for him to come out there and do

0:27 it." Then we're hearing reports that no, it's not happening.

0:30 With with all this being,

0:31 it seems like Aaron Rogers going to be the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback,

0:34 but it is not beneficial and we have no idea.

0:36 What are your thoughts on the situation that's brewing over there?

0:39 And uh are the Pittsburgh Steelers with Mike

0:41 McCarthy who are definitely in win now mode,

0:43 I think, with the hiring going to be able to do as such next year?

0:47 No.

0:48 What's best for the team is that Aaron Rogers is the quarterback.

0:52 What's best for the organization is that anybody but Rogers is the quarterback.

0:59 Okay.

0:58 Um I I I think with Aaron with Aaron as their starting quarterback,

1:02 they are a fringe playoff team.

1:05 Um they are they're not going to be better than Buffalo,

1:09 New England, Baltimore, Cincy, Houston, Jacksonville, the Chargers, Denver.

1:15 So, you you got to hope that one of those eight or nine

1:19 teams doesn't play well and you kind of shoot over your skis.

1:22 I think they're a nine- win team with Aaron.

1:25 Um, and that's why I say with the team, yeah,

1:27 like I get it because there's Cam Hayward and TJ Watt and Jaylen Ramsay,

1:32 some of these, you know, long obviously two longtime Steeler veterans,

1:36 Hall of Famers, all three of them, they want to win now.

1:39 And so, for the this this team, this 2026 version,

1:42 the best thing is to have a quarterback as good as Aaron playing.

1:45 But for the organization, it's not because you're just going to be picking at 20

1:50 20 again.

1:50 I I Tone, you may know this.

1:53 It blew my mind.

1:54 The Steelers have had two top 10 picks since 1990.

2:00 Yeah.

2:00 Winning season.

2:01 And so it's crazy.

2:03 Two top 10 picks since 90 and one of them is the 10th pick.

2:07 Um, and so I just I can understand and appreciate

2:11 the history of the organization and the consistency of the organization,

2:16 but what's best for them is to fall back this year and to not be good

2:20 and try to gather a top 10 pick

2:23 and figure out the long-term spot at quarterback.

2:25 Okay.

2:25 So, you think they hired Mike McCarthy?

2:28 They still have TJ, Cam Hayward,

2:30 all the vets on the build in the building, right?

2:32 All the olds.

2:33 They still got a lot of the olds.

2:34 that have been around for a long time to kick kick it in a year.

2:38 No, I I don't I I I I said this to you guys a month ago.

2:42 Aaron's going to be the starting quarterback.

2:43 I said, "Write it in pen." That's happening.

2:46 But that's what's best for the team is not what's best for the organization.

2:50 That that's that's this is one of those situations that what what is best

2:54 for the team is for Rogers to be the quarterback because that group can win,

2:58 but what's best for the organization long term is not.

3:00 Do you think they can win at all?

3:01 Because if you can win another Super Bowl, that's the only thing that matters.

3:04 Literally the only thing I agree with the majority of what Dan said.

3:07 I I do think they will be a better

3:09 team this year with Aaron because of the coaching change.

3:12 Um will it be enough to get to the Super Bowl?

3:15 Probably not.

3:15 Um Jeez, I I said that Dan.

3:18 I just said that.

3:19 Um there was a lot of Yanzers and and me included when you know Aaron like

3:25 when and he's still not back but was

3:28 like hey let's let's go with Will this year.

3:31 Either you find your quarterback of the future.

3:33 he surprises people, Dan being one of them.

3:36 Or you win four games and you get

3:39 your quarterback of the future in the 2027 draft,

3:41 which is supposed to be much better.

3:43 A lot of people were hoping for that, but the coaches don't want that.

3:46 The players do not want that.

3:47 I don't even know if the organization wants that at all.

3:49 So, we'll obviously not because, you know, they want Aaron back.

3:53 Um, but no, I agree with a lot of what

3:55 some of the teams that he said would be better.

3:56 I didn't agree with, but you know, a lot of with what he said was right.

3:59 Yeah.

3:59 And he left off the Colts.

4:00 Obviously, the AFC is certainly stacked.

4:02 Uh AJ, your thoughts on your friend Aaron Rodgers being

4:07 in the middle of a conversation around the Pittsburgh Steelers yet again.

4:10 It feels like this is uh backto-back years of this and then

4:13 it was the Jets before that that it was Packers.

4:15 Like anything Aaron does is always going to be a conversation.

4:19 I think he knows that.

4:20 I think we all understand that.

4:21 But this one has become so dynamic, I think,

4:24 because the way the fans who are dieh hard and loyal and would be if you won

4:29 are at the point of feeling like if

4:31 this guy who already knows what the building's like,

4:34 already knows who the coach is, already knows everything,

4:36 doesn't want to come back, what are we waiting around for?

4:39 And I think Mike's waiting around and I think Omar's waiting around.

4:43 I think the Steelers are waiting around just like they were last year.

4:46 But fans can't really uh comprehend that it feels like AJ.

4:49 Yeah.

4:49 Yeah.

4:50 Well, fans aren't aren't talking and having

4:52 conversations with Aaron and his representatives as we've

4:54 seen Omar has said that and coach Mike since he's been on the job, I guess.

4:58 So, they obviously feel like from their dialogue they have had

5:01 with Aaron and his side that that he's going to, you know,

5:03 they're going to figure things out, I guess.

5:04 Doesn't it seem like that?

5:05 We're almost in June right now and it's still up in the air.

5:08 So, yeah.

5:09 And I know Dan says it's not best for the like the organization,

5:12 the franchise, but I guess it's just shortterm long term, right?

5:15 like short term it's obviously better for him but I

5:18 just don't know how it can be a plan that hey

5:20 we need to lose enough games to where we get

5:22 to pick high enough to get our next franchise quarterback.

5:24 I think that's hard to sell to anybody.

5:26 I don't think Steelers fans are necessar I mean they

5:28 they talk about it in theory but then doing the season

5:31 I mean it hasn't happened in 20 plus years.

5:33 Uh rookie mini camp starts today and then

5:35 mandatory mini camp starts uh June 2nd.

5:38 So I mean we're we still have a few weeks before mandatory mini camp

5:41 and and other guys getting reps isn't

5:43 necessarily the worst things but we'll see.

5:45 Let's talk about more things that happened around the NFL world.

5:48 Joe Burrow looks super cool out and about.

5:50 He also was training with the Bengals just yesterday.

5:54 He had a uh a full sled on as they're continuing to work out during the spring.

5:59 They have the um the sports bra, catapult sports bra.

6:03 So cool.

6:04 But he has the black shirt underneath it.

6:06 So it looks cool.

6:07 And obviously Joe Burrow is going to look cool whenever he does anything.

6:11 Running full speed.

6:12 Obviously seems to be pumped.

6:14 Do you think Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati

6:15 Bengals have a big bounceback this year?

6:17 Dan Orloski, I do right now.

6:20 That would be my t pick to win the division.

6:22 I think it's obviously a huge year for Cincinnati for Joe.

6:25 That's why they make the trade for Dexter Lawrence.

6:28 A bunch of new starters on defense that just have to pay off for them.

6:32 Two years ago, Joe Burrow has this historic season in NFL history.

6:37 It's one of the great quarterbacking and offensive seasons we've seen.

6:41 and they don't get into the playoffs

6:42 because the defense is equally historically bad.

6:45 I have very little doubt that if everyone's healthy on this offense,

6:50 it'll be a top five offense.

6:51 Now, part of that's got to be Joe.

6:53 Uh Joe has to own some of the health of his own career.

6:56 They've got to protect him.

6:57 I thought the offensive line was better last year,

6:59 but it's still a challenge, right?

7:00 Like it's still been the the narrative is they haven't kept him clean,

7:03 but if he's healthy and this defense just gets a little bit better,

7:07 yeah, this is the the for me the pick to win the division.

7:10 absolutely matter in the AFC playoffs.

7:12 Um, I think that it's a a fascinating year

7:16 in Cincinnati and in Philly for the quarterbacks because,

7:19 you know, they're three straight years without the playoffs.

7:22 They don't go again with what they've invested now into the team

7:25 and kind of given Joe what is needed and wanted at least by reports.

7:30 Yeah, I you could absolutely see it getting

7:32 very noisy and and him wanting him wanting out.