Division Opens For Ravens With Aaron Rodgers Departure

Aaron Rodgers ne'er promised thing much than nan one-year contract he signed pinch nan Baltimore Ravens' biggest rivals, nan Pittsburgh Steelers, past summer.

He was ne'er expected to ink immoderate benignant of multi-year woody pinch galore hold opportunities, but really could he? The 4x MVP celebrated his 42nd day during nan 2025 campaign, and he's personification who relishes holding nan leverage.

The respective months of will-he, won't-he rumors that preceded his signing pinch nan Steelers, arsenic good arsenic his refusal to admit that this is his last season, each ensured that nan media will person to proceed waiting for his adjacent large quote aliases crippled pinch bated breath. And conscionable arsenic his presence influenced nan Ravens' playoff path, his departure opens up a enigma container of its own.

Just arsenic Baltimore chose to trek into nan wilderness of hunting down a caller coach, nan Steelers now look to capable a vacancy of their own. Mike Tomlin, nan NFL's longest-tenured caput coach, was a cardinal fig successful Rodgers' recruitment. But pursuing nan thrashing that nan Steelers suffered successful nan Wild Card Round and Tomlin's speedy determination to measurement down from his post, Rodgers' impending status announcement seems moreover much imminent.

That would beryllium bully news for nan Ravens, who could usage arsenic clear of a way backmost into contention arsenic they tin get successful embracing their offseason of sweeping changes. They went 8-9 successful 2025 against nan toughest spot of schedule successful nan league, and could usage each of nan breaks they tin get. And now that they've begun making their ain changes to their operation, nan Steelers' early pinch nan early Hall-of-Famer is nan next-closest worthy monitoring.

Rodgers whitethorn not person gone retired connected top, but he surely got nan better of his newest divisional rivals complete 2 matchups, yet handing them their season-ending nonaccomplishment successful a dramatic regular play finale that whitethorn person featured nan past game-winning thrust of his career.

As if location weren't capable incentives to pounce, Rodgers' imaginable status offers much logic for dream that nan Ravens tin return stronger.

Embracing 2026's Outlook

The Steelers grew celebrated complete nan 2nd half of Tomlin's tenure for maintaining their streak of winning records, moreover if thing seemed to travel from nan repeated 9 aliases 10-win seasons. Team guidance is intent connected refusing to rebuild contempt having to capable coaching and, theoretically, backmost vacancies, and they'll person to do that against a first-place schedule.

They haven't fto a changeless backmost carousel alteration their generally-consistent levels of mean success. The Ravens' collapse, much than anything, opened up nan way for nan Steelers to prevail atop an unimpressive AFC North, and nan Ravens person already kickstarted their ain weighty offseason by firing John Harbaugh.

They went 8-9, pinch 2 of those losses arriving against nan Steelers. Despite repeated attempts, they could ne'er look to get retired of their ain way, succumbing to nan flaws revealed by an unimpressive roster and falling deeper into their nagging wont of blowing leads and adjacent games.

Baltimore's chief decision-makers person travel cleanable successful admitting their caller shortcomings, and a imaginable Pittsburgh downturn opens up nan chance for nan Ravens to return advantage of nan quiet north.

As Pittsburgh remains successful backmost purgatory for nan clip being, nan Ravens person nan luxury of rostering 1 of nan apical players astatine nan position successful nan convention successful Lamar Jackson, who is besides successful statement for an hold this offseason.

Jackson's presence, arsenic good arsenic nan talent passim nan remainder of its roster, has near Baltimore successful a bully spot while conducting caput coaching interviews and searching for Harbaugh's successor.

The Steelers' roster still features a sizeable magnitude of talent, but pinch Rodgers apt retired of nan image alongside Tomlin, nan Ravens person to for illustration their chances moving forward.

Three teams wrong nan AFC North, including themselves, are abruptly looking for caput coaches, meaning if nan Ravens find personification to partner with Jackson and friends, they could deed nan crushed moving successful taking advantage of nan unfastened AFC.

Make judge you bookmark Baltimore Ravens On SI for nan latest news, exclusive interviews, movie breakdowns and truthful overmuch more!