Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is unquestionably one of the best to ever do it. The long-time veteran is almost certain to cruise into the Pro Football Hall of Fame the instant he's eligible.
When that happens, Sunday's game film won't be a part of that highlight package.
Rodgers was miserable during the team's 25-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night. He was skittish when under pressure and missed some throws he normally makes during the loss. A garbage-time touchdown was the only thing that saved Rodgers from potentially posting his career-worst passer rating. It was truly a game to forget.
Rodgers acknowledged as much after the contest, saying he has "got to play better," per Brooke Pryor of ESPN.
"This was not my best performance," he said. "I got to play better than this for us to win. Whatever it takes ... if it's better checks, if it's better throws, whatever it is, I got to play better. I will. ... We got to play better on offense, for sure. But this is part of the season. There's ebbs and flows, there's ups and downs, and we can't ride the wave."
Rodgers, 41, took responsibility for missing some throws during the game. He had two interceptions in the contest, one of which was a throw Rodgers sailed over the head of D.K. Metcalf. The second pick wasn't on Rodgers, as the ball bounced off the hands of Donte Jackson. It was emblematic of the way the team's offense played Sunday night. Rodgers summed it up well, saying, "A lot of stuff wasn't working."
Mike Tomlin also offered up a blunt assessment of Rodgers' play. When asked how he would evaluate Rodgers, Tomlin said, "How would you," before moving on to the next question.
While Rodgers has experienced strong moments this season, the Steelers haven't seen a drastic improvement on offense. After getting rid of both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson in the offseason, the Steelers rank 16th in points per game. With Fields and Wilson, the Steelers ranked ... 16th in points per game last year.
Rodgers has put up better numbers than both Fields and Wilson, but the veteran hasn't lifted the team's offense to new heights. While Rodgers is occasionally capable of reaching into the past and dazzling with a throw or two, he's also capable of looking like a beat-up, 41-year-old.
The Steelers need the former version of Rodgers to appear far more often down the stretch. Following Sunday's loss, Pittsburgh holds a one-game lead over the surging Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North. With Lamar Jackson back and performing well, one misstep from Rodgers down the stretch is all the Ravens need to take back the division after giving the Steelers a massive head start.