Aaron Rodgers ends a three-year playoff exile in Pittsburgh, bringing an 11-10 postseason ledger and a 13-year title drought into the Steelers’ AFC title hunt.
Aaron Rodgers is back on the NFL’s biggest stage, this time in Steelers colors. A Week-18 upset of the Ravens delivered the AFC North crown and snapped a personal three-year playoff drought that began after Green Bay’s 13-10 divisional loss to San Francisco on January 22, 2022. The 42-year-old enters with a 21-start postseason résumé: 11 wins, 10 losses, and one Lombardi Trophy that has grown heavier with each passing January.
Playbook in Numbers: 11-10 Across 12 Trips
Rodgers’ January résumé splits cleanly into two eras. From 2010-2021 he reached the tournament 11 times in 12 seasons, posting a 11-10 record. The lone miss, 2017, came after a collarbone fracture. His path:
- 2010: 0-1 wild-card exit
- 2011: 4-0, Super Bowl XLV title
- 2012-14: three one-and-dones
- 2015-16: back-to-back NFC title games, 1-2 combined
- 2017: 2-1, NFC-title loss at Philly
- 2020-21: consecutive 1-1 runs, both ending in championship heartbreak
- 2022: 0-1, divisional upset by the 49ers
The ledger shows six exits at Lambeau, three in the NFC championship, and only one February victory—against Pittsburgh itself in Arlington, Texas, 14 years ago.
Why the Steelers Move Flips the Narrative
Pittsburgh’s defense finished top-five in scoring and sacks, mirroring the 2010 Packers’ title formula. Rodgers no longer needs to outscore opponents 38-35; a 20-point output can win. The shift from Jets chaos to Steelers stability also restored his health—he took only 24 sacks in 2025, his fewest since 2016. That conservation projects directly into January arm strength.
Historical Pressure Points
Only Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Brett Favre have won playoff games with multiple franchises. Rodgers can join them in his first try. Yet history warns: quarterbacks 40-plus are 3-10 in postseason starts since 2000. Brady owns two of those wins; the other belonged to Phil Simms in 1993. Rodgers’ Week-18 fourth-quarter dart to George Pickens showed the vintage accuracy required to bend that curve.
The Ring Math
Eleven QBs have multiple Super-Bowl titles. Rodgers, universally placed in the top-10 talent tier, remains outside that club. A second ring would elevate him past Drew Brees and Steve Young in historical tiers and nudge him toward the Brady-Montana conversation—especially if it comes through road wins at Buffalo and Kansas City.
Steelers Route: Brutal but Familiar
As the 3-seed, Pittsburgh faces a gauntlet reminiscent of Rodgers’ 2010 run: wild-card weekend at home, then potential trips to Orchard Park and Kansas City. Rodgers is 4-2 lifetime against the Bills and 3-2 against the Chiefs, throwing 41 touchdowns against seven interceptions in those games. The Steelers’ elite red-zone defense (fourth-best TD rate) gives him margin for the slow starts that doomed Green Bay in prior January exits.
Bottom Line
Another January, another referendum on Rodgers’ legacy. The 11-10 record is respectable, but the 1-4 mark in NFC title games fuels the “can’t get over the hump” critique. Pittsburgh offers a fresh canvas, a top-tier defense, and a path that mirrors the 2010 magic. If the arm still has 50-yard juice and the defense keeps the score in the twenties, the drought ends and the narrative flips—black-and-gold style.
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