“He’s Been Washed” – Skip Bayless Thinks Steelers Are Wasting $25 Million on Aaron Rodgers

Skip Bayless doubled down on his previous take on Aaron Rodgers, claiming that the Steelers have made a mistake by re-signing the veteran quarterback.

“He’s Been Washed” – Skip Bayless Thinks Steelers Are Wasting $25 Million on Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers and Skip Bayless inside the circle (Image via IMAGO/X)

In Short
  • Skip Bayless criticizes the Steelers for signing Aaron Rodgers to a $25 million contract, claiming he has been "washed" for three seasons.
  • Rodgers led the Steelers to a 10-7 record in 2025 but struggled in the playoffs, contributing to the team's nine-season postseason winless streak.
  • The hiring of Mike McCarthy as head coach has reignited speculation about Rodgers' future, despite past tensions between the two.

Aaron Rodgers signing a one-year $25 million contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers doesn’t excite Skip Bayless. Right after the Steelers broke the news about Rodgers’ return, Bayless claimed that the 42-year-old quarterback “has been washed” since his final season with the Green Bay Packers.

On Monday’s episode of The Arena Gridiron, Bayless doubled down on his previous take.

He [Aaron Rodgers has] been washed for the last three full seasons that he’s played quarterback. The Steelers, by paying him $25 million [for the 2026 season], are trying to send a message that he’ll be worth $25 million, [well] he won’t be… The cornerstone NFL franchise, the Pittsburgh Steelers, have had to fall back on the Aaron Rodgers trap, and it’s just sad to me. … It won’t work. I just say to the Pittsburgh Steelers, good luck.

Skip Bayless declared

Rodgers started for the Steelers in 2025. He led the Steelers to a 10-7 record, which was enough to secure the crown of the AFC North. In the playoffs, they faced off against the Houston Texans. The Texans’ top three defense sacked Rodgers four times—fumbled twice and lost the ball once. He finished with 146 yards and a pick-six. The Texans won the fixture 30-6.

The Steelers remained winless in postseason games for nine straight seasons. For that reason, Mike Tomlin decided to step down from his position as head coach. Bayless urged Rodgers to follow Tomlin’s example and retire from football.

For a short while, it seemed that Rodgers might retire until the Steelers hired Mike McCarthy. Rodgers and McCarthy have known each other since their time with the Green Bay Packers. So, when McCarthy accepted the Steelers coaching job, many expected Rodgers to prolong his career. The wait for an answer began.

While Rodgers stayed away from the prying eyes of the media, McCarthy assured that the two of them have been communicating privately, and Rodgers will reveal himself when the time is right.

Rodgers reportedly arrived in Pittsburgh in early May but did not contact or visit the club grounds. Last weekend, a Steelers fan filmed Rodgers meeting with some of his teammates at a local shop, and the very next day, the club announced that Rodgers was returning for the 2026 season.

Bayless called out the Steelers for falling into the Aaron Rodgers trap. On Monday, Rodgers joined the Steelers’ practice session.

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The Rodgers and McCarthy duo helped the Packers win their fourth Lombardi Trophy. Together, they have won 107 combined games, including playoffs, which is 9th overall in NFL history behind the legendary Bills duo of Marv Levy and Jim Kelly.

He's Been Washed - Skip Bayless Thinks Steelers Are Wasting $25 Million on Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers (Image via IMAGO)

Despite the success, rumor has it that Rodgers and McCarthy weren’t always on the best of terms. In 2005, Rodgers was considered the best quarterback on the draft chart. But the San Francisco 49ers selected Alex Smith. The 49ers chose Smith because McCarthy, who was their offensive coordinator, wanted to work with him.

Rodgers may have resented McCarthy, sometimes showing it on the field. Things started to improve between them as time went on, but Dan Graziano of ESPN believes the tension may show up once again if the Steelers start losing games.

It all sounds great, but again, if things were to start to go bad, if the Steelers were to lose games, have a rough season. I mean, the fact of the matter is, we’ve seen with Aaron Rodgers how it goes, and you know, he makes sure that he’s not the one getting blamed.

Graziano said on Get Up

Rodgers is more than likely to start in Week one of the regular season. As backups, the Steelers have Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and rookie Drew Allar.

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