Aaron Rodgers has seen just about everything across his two decades in the NFL, from Super Bowl glory to playoff heartbreak, MVP awards to crushing injuries.
But as he prepares to take the field for the Pittsburgh Steelers in what he has admitted will likely be his final season, the 41-year-old quarterback has become the unlikely subject of a conspiracy theory that even he probably didn’t see coming.
It started with a pair of photos circulating online: one showing Rodgers smiling in his New York Jets uniform last year, and another in which he appears more wide-eyed and reserved in his new Steelers gear. The contrast was enough for fans on social media to run wild.
“Going to start the conspiracy that Roger Goodell replaced Aaron Rodgers with a body double,” one user joked, sparking a thread of memes and commentary that quickly went viral.
For Rodgers, the viral chatter is a distraction he can easily brush off. What matters more is proving that the “real” Rodgers still has the arm and leadership to give Pittsburgh a genuine shot at a Super Bowl run.
Rodgers spent 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, carving out a Hall of Fame résumé and building his legacy as one of the most gifted passers in football history.
But since lifting the Lombardi Trophy after the 2010 season, his career has been defined as much by near misses as by success.
A move to the Jets in 2023 was supposed to rejuvenate both quarterback and franchise, but it lasted only four snaps before he tore his Achilles tendon in the season opener.
Rodgers returned in 2024 but could not pull a disjointed New York roster into the postseason. By March, the Jets had moved on, releasing the veteran and signing Justin Fields.
Rodgers found a new landing spot in Pittsburgh, agreeing to a one-year, $13.65 million deal with the Steelers.
Head coach Mike Tomlin, who has long sought stability under center, now has a quarterback with unmatched experience. The question is whether that will translate into January success.
Rodgers’ Steelers debut comes with added theater: a Week 1 matchup against the Jets at MetLife Stadium. To outside observers, it’s a perfect storyline, a legendary quarterback facing the team that cast him aside. To Rodgers, it’s nothing more than a regular season opener.
Asked about the emotions of running out of the same tunnel where his Jets stint began and ended, Rodgers kept it short: “I’d just be excited for Week 1.”
Tomlin said he wasn’t surprised by the quarterback’s dismissive tone. “If it means anything to him more than a normal game, he probably wouldn’t tell you,” the coach explained. “We’re going to go play football.”
Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth added that Rodgers has gone out of his way to make sure teammates treat the game like any other.
“He makes it seem like it’s just another game, and I think that’s cool for us,” Freiermuth said. “Obviously we want to win it for him, but he’s not living off that it’s his old stomping ground.”
Steelers banking on Rodgers’ leadership
The Steelers haven’t lacked competitiveness under Tomlin, but they’ve struggled to reach the NFL’s summit in recent years. Rodgers’ arrival provides not just a steady hand, but also a potential spark for an offense featuring Freiermuth, DK Metcalf, and a backfield still searching for consistency.
Rodgers insists he has fully bought into the new challenge. “I’m loving being here,” he said this week. “The way I’ve been welcomed has been really, really special, from top down to the fans to guys in the locker room. It’s been really, really special.”
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