The NFL better enjoy the Aaron Rodgers wave while it lasts, because Mike Tannenbaum doesn’t expect it to last for long.
Rodgers made his first appearance as a Steeler on Tuesday afternoon, taking part in a mandatory workout before meeting with reporters. After months of speculation, it’s official: Rodgers is a Steeler. So, what does adding a four-time NFL MVP to a franchise with six Super Bowl rings mean for the rest of the league? According to Tannenbaum, not much.
“Aaron Rodgers is gonna be irrelevant by Thanksgiving…a non-playoff team, a 42-year-old quarterback” – Mike Tannenbaum pic.twitter.com/N907zuC1wJ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 11, 2025
“I’ll make a bold prediction, Greeny. I think Aaron Rodgers is gonna be irrelevant by Thanksgiving. Irrelevant,” Tannenbaum said Wednesday morning on ESPN’s Get Up. “A non-playoff team, a 42-year-old quarterback, who’s a legend, that’s going off into the sunset.”
The take was met with much surprise from Adam Schefter, Louis Riddick and Mike Greenberg on Get Up. Greenberg quickly pushed back, noting the Steelers are always relevant.
“Tell me why they’re gonna be relevant?” Tannenbaum continued. “They’re the third best team in the division. They’re gonna have to find out about Will Howard, who they drafted from Ohio State, who I think is very intriguing.”
It’s a bold take. But is it really that crazy of a prediction? Rodgers hasn’t been relevant on Thanksgiving since 2021. Believing Rodgers can somehow get back to MVP form seems like the bolder take.
Tannanbaum’s prediction, meanwhile, says much more about that Steelers than it does Rodgers. Because if recent history is any indication, the Steelers seem more likely to carry Rodgers to the playoffs than the other way around. But Tannenbaum doesn’t believe a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game in eight years is capable of carrying a 42-year-old quarterback to the playoffs. That’s not unreasonable.
The craziest thing said in this clip may have been Schefter claiming Tannenbaum isn’t one for hot takes. Maybe Wednesday morning was the first time Schefter paid attention to anything Tannenbaum was saying, because the former NFL general manager has been a hot take artist on Get Up in recent years.
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com