Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers Looks To Make History Against the Cincinnati Bengals
It’s a tale as old as time in the NFL: records are made to be broken. This week, another legendary quarterback is about to get nudged down the history books. For Pittsburgh Steelers fans, it’s a bittersweet pill to swallow.
Aaron Rodgers, in his first season wearing the black and gold, is on the doorstep of knocking former Steelers icon Ben Roethlisberger out of the top five on the NFL’s all-time passing yards list. It is a statistical inevitability that feels a bit like your new stepdad using your dad’s favorite coffee mug. It’s his now, but it just doesn’t feel quite right, does it?
The Inevitable Climb For Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers needs 116 Pass yds Thursday to move past Ben Roethlisberger for fifth on the NFL all-time passing list.
While Rodgers has 95 more career Pass TD than Big Ben, the two have racked up yardage at a similar rate 👀 ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/GwJNjDM5y9
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) October 16, 2025
Heading into the “Thursday Night Football” showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals, Rodgers needs just 116 passing yards to eclipse “Big Ben’s” career total of 64,088. Let’s be honest, Rodgers could probably get that in his sleep, maybe even blindfolded with one arm tied behind his back. Barring some sort of bizarre, un-Steeler-like meltdown, he’ll likely achieve this feat before the halftime hot dogs are even warm.
Roethlisberger, ever the good sport, has already acknowledged the milestone, admitting that records “are meant to be broken.” It’s a classy move from a guy who defined an era of Pittsburgh football. Still, for a city that bleeds black and gold, watching a record held by a homegrown legend fall to a newcomer—even one as talented as Rodgers—has to sting just a little.
A Crowded Mountaintop
Once Rodgers leapfrogs Roethlisberger, he’ll join an elite club. The Mount Rushmore of passers includes names that echo through NFL history: Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and the seemingly untouchable Tom Brady. Brady sits atop the mountain with an absurd 89,214 yards, a number so high it looks like a typo. For Rodgers to catch his former mentor, Favre, at number four, he’d need to stick around for another couple of seasons, which, given his unpredictable nature, isn’t entirely out of the question.
This isn’t just about personal stats, though. A victory on Thursday would push the Steelers to an impressive 5-1 record, tightening their grip on the AFC North. For a franchise starved for postseason success since 2016, these milestones are nice, but a playoff win would be the real prize. And that’s exactly what Rodgers was brought in to deliver.
So, as the lights shine bright on Thursday night, Steelers fans will have to applaud as one legend surpasses another. It’s a strange feeling, but it’s the price of progress. Welcome to the new era, Pittsburgh. It’s going to be one heck of a ride.
