I seriously prayed for Aaron Rodgers to be New York’s saviour when he joined the Jets, partially because I am, unfortunately, a Jets fan. It felt like the right kind of gamble: a quarterback who had mastered control stepping into chaos, betting that experience could still shape outcomes. It never fully clicked. The moments were there, but the cohesion wasn’t, and New York became a chapter that promised more than it delivered.
Now comes the unexpected turn. Rodgers, at 42, has landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, playing for a head coach who has never overseen a losing season. Mike Tomlin’s teams have lived for nearly two decades above the line, not always dominant, but relentlessly competitive. Rodgers joined knowing exactly what was at stake. There was legacy risk. There was the possibility that the story would simply end quietly.
Instead, the Steelers are in the playoffs. Rodgers is under centre. And on Monday night, Pittsburgh hosts the Houston Texans with everything still in play.
Aaron Rodgers is still that guy… at 42!
The Numbers Still Hold Up
Rodgers’ first season in Pittsburgh was not just ceremonial. He finished the regular season with 3,322 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, delivering precisely what the Steelers had been missing in recent years: efficiency without volatility.
The low interception total is the tell. Even late into his career, Rodgers continues to play a version of quarterback that values precision over spectacle. He still wins before the snap, still controls tempo, still forces defences to defend the entire width of the field. The arm talent remains functional. The processing remains elite.
Across his career, Rodgers has remained among the most efficient quarterbacks the league has seen, and the 2025 season reinforced that this was not a nostalgic experiment. It was a calculated attempt to raise Pittsburgh’s ceiling.
QB Aaron Rodgers.
Legend.pic.twitter.com/3tKJoXfTpf— NFL Talk (@NFL_Talk_Sports) January 7, 2026
Rodgers in January: A Complete Record
Aaron Rodgers’ playoff history is substantial, both in volume and production. He has played in 22 postseason games, compiling a 11–10 record with 5,894 passing yards, 45 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. His postseason passer rating sits just over 100.
That body of work includes the defining achievement of his career: a Super Bowl victory following the 2010 season. That title run culminated in a win over the Steelers, when Rodgers threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns, controlling the game from start to finish.
There have been near-misses since. Rodgers has reached five conference championship games and won one of them. The margins have often been narrow, the circumstances varied. What has remained consistent is performance. Even in postseason losses, Rodgers’ play has rarely been the limiting factor.
Monday night offers something different. Not redemption, not closure, but extension. Another chance to shape how the late-career arc is remembered.
The Tomlin Effect
Mike Tomlin does not preside over collapse. His Steelers teams are organised, physical, and mentally durable. They may fluctuate in style, but not in baseline competence. Nineteen consecutive non-losing seasons speaks less to perfection and more to resilience.
Rodgers fits that environment. Pittsburgh has cycled through quarterbacks since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement, remaining competitive without ever finding stability. Rodgers provides that stability, particularly in high-leverage moments where the Steelers have often been limited by conservative quarterback play.
There is also context to the setting. Pittsburgh has not lost a home Monday Night Football game since 1992. It is a stat that borders on the improbable, and it adds another layer to a matchup already thick with narrative weight.
Steelers vs Texans: Limited History, New Stakes
Despite Pittsburgh’s long history, the Texans remain a relatively new opponent. The franchises have met eight times, with the Steelers holding a 5–3 edge. This is their first postseason meeting.
The regular-season matchups have been unpredictable. Houston upset Pittsburgh in the Texans’ early years, long before the franchise established consistency. There have been lopsided Steelers wins, including a 2014 game that turned into a scoring avalanche. More recently, Houston has asserted itself as a legitimate AFC presence, no longer framed as a rebuilding project.
That evolution is what makes this matchup compelling. Pittsburgh represents institutional durability. Houston represents momentum.
What This Game Represents
For Rodgers, this is not about proving viability. That has already been established. It is about impact. Late-career success carries a different weight, particularly when it arrives in a new uniform, under a different organisational philosophy.
For the Steelers, it is an opportunity to convert consistency into consequence. Tomlin’s teams have remained relevant, but playoff advancement has been sporadic. Rodgers was brought in to change that.
For the Texans, a win in Pittsburgh would mark a clear statement of arrival. Beating a veteran quarterback, on the road, under the lights, would confirm that their rise is not theoretical.
Monday night will not define careers on its own. But it will shape trajectories. Rodgers has chosen another difficult stage, another tight margin, another moment where control matters more than spectacle.
He has done that his entire career. Now he gets to do it again.
FAQs
What were Aaron Rodgers’ 2025 regular season stats with the Steelers?
3,322 passing yards, 24 TDs, 7 INTs.
What is Rodgers’ career playoff record?
11–10 in the playoffs.
How productive has Rodgers been in the postseason overall?
5,894 yards, 45 TDs, 13 INTs, 100.1 passer rating in 21 playoff games.
Have the Steelers and Texans ever played in the playoffs before?
No. Monday is their first postseason meeting.
What is the all-time Steelers–Texans record?
Steelers lead 5–3 (based on eight prior meetings).
Is it true Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season as Steelers head coach?
Yes. He’s at 19 consecutive non-losing seasons.
By Nicky Helfgott / @NickyHelfgott1 on X (Twitter)
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