ExtremeRavens Posted 15 hours ago Posted 15 hours ago The AFC North already features two quarterbacks on a Hall of Fame trajectory: Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow. The Pittsburgh Steelers added a third star to the division on Thursday, agreeing to a one-year deal with Aaron Rodgers. The 41-year-old Rodgers is 3-0 as a starter against the Ravens in his 20-year career, although he’s only played Baltimore once since 2013. The four-time NFL Most Valuable Player missed the Ravens’ trip to Green Bay in 2017 because of a broken right collarbone but led the Packers to a dramatic 31-30 win at M&T Bank Stadium in Week 15 of the 2021 season. With star quarterback Lamar Jackson out with a sprained ankle, backup Tyler Huntley nearly led the Ravens all the way back from a 31-17 deficit, but his 2-point conversion pass in the final minute fell incomplete. While that loss was the third of six straight for the Jackson-less Ravens as they dropped from an AFC-best 8-3 to missing the playoffs, it was a memorable game for Rodgers, who threw three touchdown passes to tie Brett Favre on the franchise’s all-time list and lead Green Bay to its third straight NFC North title. “That’s why he’s a Hall of Famer,” then-Ravens defensive back Anthony Averett, a special teams contributors thrust into the starting lineup that day because of mounting injuries, said of playing Rodgers. “He can put the ball where you can’t get to it, but [only] the receiver [can], really.” After surprisingly being picked late in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft, Rodgers also got his most playing time as a rookie against Baltimore. Entering in relief of Favre during Baltimore’s 48-3 win in Week 15 that season, Rodgers completed 8 of 15 passes for 65 yards and an interception while being sacked three times. His 36.8 passer rating that day is tied for the fourth-worst of his career. In four total games against Baltimore, including wins over quarterback Joe Flacco and coach John Harbaugh in 2009 and 2013, Rodgers has completed 62.7% of his passes for 911 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions while being sacked 10 times. “We’ve always respected Aaron Rodgers. He’s a Hall of Fame quarterback,” Harbaugh said during the Ravens’ voluntary practice in Owings Mills on Friday. In Pittsburgh, the aging star found a team in desperate need of help quarterback. The Steelers’ struggles at the position were especially discernible against Baltimore last season. Russell Wilson threw for 422 yards against the Ravens’ defense in the regular season, including an 18-16 victory in Pittsburgh in Week 11 that pushed the Steelers to an AFC North-leading 8-2, but he struggled down the stretch and into the postseason. The Ravens then beat Wilson and their archrivals, 34-17, in Week 16 en route to winning a second straight division title and crushed them again, 28-14, in the AFC wild-card round, handing Pittsburgh its fifth straight loss and sixth in a row in the postseason. Both Wilson and Week 1 starter Justin Fields departed in the offseason for the New York Giants and New York Jets, respectively, leaving a gaping hole on the roster. The Steelers brought back veteran Mason Rudolph and drafted Ohio State’s Will Howard in the sixth round, but neither were considered a strong contender to start the season. Enter Rodgers. After suffering a torn Achilles tendon in his first game with the Jets in 2023, Rodgers returned and played 17 games last season, throwing for 3,897 yards with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while ranking 25th among quarterbacks with a 48.0 QBR. The Jets went 5-12 with him as a starter, which included midseason firings of coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas, and moved on from the veteran quarterback in the offseason after hiring Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey to lead a new era. Despite rampant speculation swirling for weeks about his future, Rodgers waited to sign with the Steelers until late in the offseason. He told “The Pat McAfee Show” in April that his attention was focused on helping people in his inner circle who were “battling some difficult stuff” and that he didn’t want to decide until he knew he could fully commit. He’s expected to show up for mandatory minicamp next week. If he remains healthy, Rodgers’ first appearance against Baltimore will come Dec. 7 at M&T Bank Stadium. The teams will then face off in the regular-season finale on Jan. 4. If all goes according to plan, perhaps that game will have major playoff implications. The Ravens would welcome that. “It would be great to pick off A-Rod,” Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins said. “It’s going to be great facing him.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Jane at sjane@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230. Kenneth K. Lam / Baltimore SunThe Ravens' Justin Madubuike sacks then-Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers during a 2021 game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) View the full article Quote
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