Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images

ESPN Analyst Peter Schrager Has Super Bowl Ambitions for AFC North Team

Aaron Rodgers joining the Steelers could be huge this year

Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images

The AFC North has been one of the toughest divisions in the NFL for the past few years. Joe Burrow-led Bengals and Lamar Jackson-led Ravens have made deep playoff runs, while the Pittsburgh Steelers have been perennial postseason contenders.

It is the latter that is the interest of this topic. Recently, the Steelers announced Aaron Rodgers as the newest member of their quarterback room, and after plenty of talks around his future, the 4-time MVP has finally signed with Pittsburgh.

The last time the Steelers had a noteworthy signal caller was when Big Ben (Roethlisberger) was playing for the team back in the 2021 season. Now, with Rodgers at the helm, Steelers Nation’s hopes are rekindled once again, and even analysts like ESPN’s Peter Schrager are jumping on their bandwagon.

Done deal ✍️ @AaronRodgers12 pic.twitter.com/xM4wy8EdGG
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) June 7, 2025

Schrager Feels the Steelers’ Offense Could Look Very Different This Season

NFL analyst Peter Schrager spoke at length on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ new look offense for the upcoming season during a segment on ESPN’s NFL Live and First Take shows. According to Schrager, the Steelers are Super Bowl contenders for the upcoming season based on the moves they have made in the offseason.

“I’ve been very high on the Steelers the last few days, so high that today on First Take, I suggested they could be Super Bowl contenders. The reason I say that is because they didn’t just make these moves to get to where they were these last few years, which is a nice Saturday or Sunday afternoon Wildcard game, and then get bounced out of the playoffs.”

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The Steelers had the option to sign other quarterbacks during free agency, but they waited for Rodgers, even though there was not much communication from the other side. But not only that, they also tapped the market and made the high-profile trade for wide receiver DK Metcalf. These are moves that Schrager believes are worthy of a team that believes in their chances of going to the Super Bowl.

“They could have signed another quarterback, or they could have gotten panicked when Rodgers wasn’t there; instead, they waited all this way, and they did trade a second-round pick and paid DK Metcalf $30 million. Those are not the moves of a team that is rebuilding, that’s the moves of a team that sees things happening this year with a window.”

.@PSchrags explains why he believes the addition of Aaron Rodgers could make the Steelers Super Bowl contenders 😳 pic.twitter.com/FZZVfMqov4
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) June 12, 2025

How Does Adding Rodgers Improve the Steelers’ Chances?

There is no doubt that the Steelers have relied tremendously on their defense these past few years. Head coach Mike Tomlin is a defensive-minded coach, and he has done an excellent job of keeping the team at .500 or above even without a top-tier signal caller since Roethlisberger’s retirement.

However, on offense, Arthur Smith, who is the current Offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh, has the ability to transform this offense now as he works with the likes of Rodgers and Metcalf. Quality players in their peak form have been something Smith has lacked during his time with the Falcons and the Steelers in 2024, but that can change quickly given the players he now has at his disposal.

It will not be easy, that much is for sure. With 2 games each against the Bengals and Ravens, along with a fired-up Myles Garrett leading the Browns, this division can’t be taken for granted. The Vikings, Packers, Bills, and Lions are some of the other tough games on their schedule this year, which means, on any given Sunday, anything is possible.

Aaron Rodgers

NFL

Pittsburgh Steelers

Devavrat Kulkarni

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I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!