Aaron Rodgers back in Pittsburgh: The Dynasty Fantasy Football Impact

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Aaron Rodgers has had a flair for the dramatic over the past several seasons, waiting until after the NFL Draft to announce his intentions on playing and who he wants to play for. As his play has started to deteriorate, the attention and drama surrounding these delayed announcements has certainly dwindled. Still, it’s worth noting Rodgers has decided to continue his Hall of Fame career, deciding to play another season for Pittsburgh, this time for his former Head Coach from his Green Bay days, new Steelers boss Mike McCarthy. His signing was relatively expected from most but it does have some real dynasty intrigue. Let’s take a look at the players whose values are affected by this decision, at least in the short-term. Aaron Rodgers . QB PIT You really do wonder what kind of numbers Rodgers would have put up in his career had he not been forced to sit behind Brett Favre for the first three seasons of his career. Regardless, A-Rod has had a first ballot Hall of Fame career, posting 66,274 passing yards (fifth all-time), 527 touchdown passes (fourth all-time) and just 123 interceptions. Add in 36 rushing touchdowns and only eight career fumbles in his 21 seasons and you have the makings of a true franchise signal caller. Last year in Pittsburgh, Rodgers clearly looked like a player who was battling Father Time and an offense that didn’t really allow (or want) him to air it out much. On the season, he threw for 3,322 yards with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions with a completion rate right around 66%. In short, Rodgers was pretty good. He just wasn’t great . Now reunited with McCarthy, Rodgers could be asked to do more of what he used to but he also isn’t nearly as mobile as he once was in Green Bay, either. With new weapons like Germie Bernard and Michael Pittman on the roster, things certainly look better. However, expecting vintage QB1 numbers from Rodgers seems like a pipe dream at this point. Rodgers will again likely be a QB2 with some QB1 games if things go right. Expecting 3,500 passing yards and between 25-30 touchdowns seems like a reasonable expectation or hope but the days of him throwing for anywhere close to 4,500 yards with touchdown totals in the 40s seem to be over. He’s a solid player to have as a backup or injury replacement but not someone who is likely a “set it and forget it” option in a dynasty league any longer. Mason Rudolph , QB PIT A career backup since being drafted in 2018, Rudolph is now on his second stint with Pittsburgh after a brief run with the Titans. He would have been in line to compete for the starting job with some youngsters we’ll get to in a second, but is now battling for a roster spot. In fact, early reports from OTAs indicate Will Howard has already passed him on the depth chart and if that’s the case, he could be the odd man out this Summer. He’s a solid backup but little more. Unfortunately, it seems Rudolph may end up being remembered more for nearly being decapitated by Myles Garrett in an on-field fight years ago. Will Howard , QB PIT The Steelers and McCarthy reportedly really like Howard, though last year’s 6th round pick never saw the field his first season. While it’s hard to look at Howard and really believe he’s the future of the franchise, it’s also tough to look at him and think he has no chance of ever emerging. In the end, Rodgers coming back throws a massive bucket of cold water on his short-term value but he merits a hold in Superflex leagues. Drew Allar , QB PIT Clearly the…