The Steelers’ offense is optimized for the 2026 version of Aaron Rodgers | NFL Live

0:00 Let's take a look [music] now at the Ravens off season after

0:02 backing out of that Max Crosby trade due to a failed physical.

0:05 Baltimore signed Trey Hendrickson to beef up [music] its pass

0:08 rush and this new offense while it lost some key veterans,

0:11 it also made 11 picks in the draft

0:13 including taking guard Vega Ioane 14th [music] overall.

0:17 The Ravens also drafted four pass catchers to give Lamar

0:19 Jackson some new weapons led by Decklin Doyle in this offense.

0:24 So Mina, a lot of new pieces in Baltimore

0:27 which should help things but on the field specifically what do you think needs

0:31 to change for Baltimore to turn this around?

0:35 I think this defense just needs to be healthier than they were last season.

0:38 Um FTF FTN pardon me fantasy has this great

0:41 stat called adjusted games lost that looks at how

0:44 many players were lost to injury for different units

0:47 and Baltimore's defense last year was 30th league-wide in health.

0:51 So just being healthier I think it's going to go a long way.

0:55 They've made some really good additions.

0:56 You saw there Calais Campbell obviously Trey Hendrickson,

0:59 drafted Zion Young that should beef up the defensive

1:02 line but for me a massive massive piece of off

1:05 season news that people have been sweeping sleeping on is

1:08 whether or not Nonde Maduweke their star defensive tackle returns.

1:12 Gone all of last season.

1:14 This is the third highest paid player on the entire roster.

1:17 He's got a cap hit this year of close to 30 million dollars.

1:21 If he is on that defensive line,

1:23 he unlocks the entire group because of the double teams he draws and his ability

1:27 to penetrate in a way that made him earn that salary but if he's not there,

1:31 then you start to worry a little bit about the injury bug again.

1:33 So uh I think this Raven's defense has the potential to take a great leap

1:37 a real really improve upon what we saw last year but they got to be healthier.

1:42 Yeah, I'm with you Mina and I think your point about health

1:45 is like an over arching sentiment around the Ravens because every year

1:50 they have a team that contend for a Super Bowl and the only

1:53 thing that stands between them and actually doing that is typically injuries,

1:57 specifically to yes,

1:59 depth players and everybody on every other position but Lamar Jackson.

2:03 When Lamar Jackson is healthy, they're a Super Bowl contender.

2:06 It's quite simple in that way.

2:08 And when you think of even Derrick Henry last

2:10 year who took a step back from two seasons ago,

2:13 a large part of that is because when Lamar Jackson is out of the lineup,

2:17 it's a little easier for defenses to zero in on what your strength is.

2:21 So, even Derrick Henry being a year older,

2:24 he's a modern marvel and the expectation he will still be Derrick

2:27 Henry if Lamar Jackson is healthy for the duration of the season,

2:31 they will be a Super Bowl contenders and quite literally it's that simple.

2:34 I'm glad you brought up the health aspect both of you,

2:36 especially that Madubuike injury.

2:38 They lost him week two.

2:39 That was a tough one to overcome.

2:41 But Grous, an interesting element of this off season is

2:43 the fact that Lamar Jackson's doing something that he normally doesn't,

2:47 which is participating in the voluntary portion of workouts in the spring.

2:51 What are you hearing about the expectations

2:54 for him within Decklin Doyle's offense,

2:56 first-time play-caller in the NFL, and Lamar trying to get that third MVP?

3:02 Yeah, obviously I think they're very excited to have him there

3:04 for the voluntary portion of the off season because so much is new.

3:09 Decklin Doyle, as you mentioned, the new offensive coordinator.

3:11 [music] Jessie Minter, the new head coach.

3:14 Neither has done this job before and obviously a big

3:17 help to have your starting quarterback in the building.

3:20 It indicates that he's with the program and wants to learn as much

3:23 as possible as quickly as possible so they can hit the ground running.

3:26 Lamar Jackson has two years left on his contract with the Ravens.

3:29 They they talked to him about an extension this off season, didn't get it done.

3:33 He sees himself as in a window to win now with with this team

3:38 that is a perennial contender and expects to be once again.

3:43 I think what'll be interesting to watch is

3:45 his involvement as a runner in their offense.

3:48 Obviously, we go back to the beginning of his career and this was

3:50 a guy that was a threat to rush for 100 yards in any given game.

3:54 More reluctant when he came back off of injury last year

3:57 and I'm curious to see how much of Declan Doyle's offense incorporates

4:01 Lamar Jackson as a designed runner or whether he's moving into a new

4:05 phase of his career where he does that a lot less.

4:08 Yeah, career low 349 rushing yards for Lamar Jackson last season.

4:12 That's something we're not used to seeing from somebody who's got wheels.

4:15 All right, stay in the division to Pittsburgh we go where the decision

4:18 for rather wait for a decision from quarterback Aaron Rodgers is still ongoing.

4:22 It was reported last week that Rodgers was

4:24 expected [music] to visit the Steelers over the weekend.

4:26 Our Adam Schefter appeared on the Pat McAfee show earlier today with the latest.

4:31 The weekend Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday have come and gone.

4:35 Aaron Rodgers was not at the facility once.

4:38 The Steelers have a voluntary offseason workout

4:40 program that begins one week from today.

4:44 So with Aaron Rodgers,

4:45 you never really know exactly what's right and what's not.

4:48 Of course.

4:49 But I've always felt like that May 18th date was

4:51 a date that should be circled for him to come back.

4:54 I still think the chances are that he comes back.

4:57 I think most people believe he'll be back.

4:59 He always could change his mind.

5:00 He could always go the other way.

5:02 I don't think anything's changed.

5:04 Okay, so I guess we're all waiting for May 18th

5:06 as the next date we do an Aaron Rodgers check-in.

5:08 But Mina, let's check in now with the pieces

5:10 that they've added around the quarterback position in Pittsburgh.

5:14 Is it enough for Pittsburgh to take the next step in 26?

5:19 Yeah, I think this offense is really optimized

5:21 for this version of Aaron Rodgers, 2026 Aaron Rodgers.

5:25 You know that you're going to see two things,

5:27 quick game and a lot of it and then they're going to want to run the football.

5:30 And starting with quick game,

5:31 I think the receiver additions in particular, Michael Pittman,

5:35 Jermaine Burton who they drafted out of [music] out

5:36 of Alabama will be really helpful in that regard because we

5:40 know that Aaron Rodgers wants to throw the ball fast

5:43 and he doesn't typically push the ball downfield very much.

5:46 And then the run game,

5:47 This was actually a very efficient rushing attack last [music] year.

5:50 They were fourth in success rate league-wide.

5:53 And they made some additions.

5:54 I think that'll continue that.

5:55 Signing Rico Dowdle, who's an underrated free agent back.

5:58 And then adding depth on the offensive line.

6:01 Yaya Touré, Maxx Touré, who they drafted, gives them tackle depth out of ASU.

6:05 Jennings Dunker as well.

6:07 So, I do think that should [snorts] Aaron Rodgers decide to come back,

6:12 he steps into an offense that is better than the one that he was in last season.

6:18 And to your point, Mina, that's that's by design.

6:20 The Pittsburgh Steelers have operated this offseason like

6:23 Aaron Rodgers will be back in the lineup.

6:25 And they did flip a receiver room that was

6:28 a weakness into a position of strength and depth even.

6:32 Because they bring Michael Pittman in, consummate professional.

6:35 You go ahead and draft Jeremy Bernard,

6:37 who is like the perfect kind of Pittsburgh Steelers receiver.

6:40 The kind of receiver that turns into a fan favorite because [music]

6:44 he can pretty much do everything.

6:45 He can be in the backfield.

6:46 He can play inside.

6:47 He can play outside.

6:48 He likely slots in as their number three guy.

6:51 He's a catch-and-run guy.

6:52 He's a contested catch guy.

6:53 And again, he's tough.

6:55 He blocks.

6:56 Very similar to the Hines Ward kind of model of wide receiver.

7:00 And then even Roman Wilson, who's a third-rounder from a year ago,

7:03 become is still there for depth.

7:05 Or a couple of years ago.

7:06 So, when you look at Aaron Rodgers, it's not only like Yes, the team is better.

7:11 It's the best opportunity for him.

7:13 And this is a team that is built

7:14 to go beyond just the first round of the playoffs.

7:19 Yeah, my question though, Hawk,

7:20 is just is Aaron Rodgers at the point in his career

7:23 where he can elevate the Pittsburgh Steelers beyond where they've been?

7:27 I mean, I agree that I like the roster better

7:29 than I did a year ago going into this season.

7:32 But you're talking about a 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers who hasn't been

7:35 top 20 in the league in QBR since the year 2021.

7:39 He played all but one game last year.

7:41 Are we going to be able to count on him to do that again [music] at his age?

7:44 And if not, what do they have behind him?

7:47 The big picture questions around the Steelers are all

7:50 about what the quarterback situation is for the future,

7:53 and they really won't get where they want to go until they answer that question.

7:57 But they seem to be focusing on this year, getting Aaron Rodgers back,

8:00 and believing he's the guy that can take them beyond 9-10 wins,

8:05 first round exit in the playoffs, which is something that's been a problem

8:08 for them for more than half a decade now.

8:10 I just don't know that we've seen that Aaron Rodgers in a very long time.

8:14 Okay, so while Rodgers watch is going to continue,

8:16 a deal did get done today in Pittsburgh, according to Adam Schefter.

8:20 The Steelers have agreed to terms with kicker Chris Boswell.

8:23 Four-year $28 million extension.

8:25 The $7 million average per year ties him

8:29 with Brandon Aubrey for the highest-paid kicker in the NFL.

8:32 Boswell now locked in with the Steelers through the 2030 season.

8:37 And one more signing made official today,

8:40 wide receiver Juwan Jennings is officially a Viking.