'They were not going to tank': Jerome Bettis supports Steelers' decision to re-sign Aaron Rodgers

While he'll compete against Aaron Rodgers at the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship later this summer, Jerome Bettis will pull for Rodgers this fall when the four-time NFL MVP embarks on his final season.

Rodgers, who has already stated that 2026 will be his last season, will spend it with the Steelers, who decided to run it back with Rodgers instead of turning the offense over to veteran Mason Rudolph, second-year quarterback Will Howard or rookie Drew Allar. 

While some fans would have preferred to see one of the Steelers' young quarterbacks step into the starting role, Bettis -- a Hall of Fame running back who spent the bulk of his 13-year career in Pittsburgh -- supports the Steelers' decision to move forward with Rodgers.

"The Steelers made a decision a while ago that they were not going to tank," Bettis told CBS Sports. "They weren't going to be a team that was not competing for a championship every year. They stuck true to that, and that's part of why they wanted Aaron Rodgers to return.

"They want to be competitive. They want to have the opportunity to win a championship."

By bringing Rodgers back, Bettis said the Steelers are essentially getting the best of both worlds. The younger quarterbacks can compete for spots on the depth chart while Rodgers focuses on helping the Steelers maximize the upcoming season.

"You would love to see the two young guys battle it out and see who wins the job," Bettis said of Allar and Howard. "Ultimately, that can still happen with the ability of having Aaron Rodgers and saying, 'Hey, we want to be competitive, and we want to play for a championship,' because you owe it to that entire team." 

Specifically, Bettis said the Steelers owe it to some of their veteran players to do whatever they can to win this season. Bettis specifically mentioned Cam Heyward, a 16-year veteran and the Steelers' longest-tenured player. Heyward leads a defense Bettis called a "proven" group that has "been able to get it done."

"You owe it to him to be a competitive football team," Bettis said of Heyward. "They've got the kind of competitive spirit that they want to win, and I applaud that. And hopefully Aaron Rodgers can support that, and they can win." 

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It's been 30 years since Bettis arrived in Pittsburgh after the Rams traded him following the 1995 season. The Rams selected Bettis with the 10th overall pick in the 1993 NFL Draft, and he won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors during his first season in Los Angeles. Bettis showed the Rams what they had given away during the 1996 season, when he rumbled for 129 yards and two scores in a 42-6 Pittsburgh win.

Some Friday night reading for you, via @Steelersdepot Let's flash back to Nov. 3, 1996. Steelers-Rams at Three Rivers Stadium. Jerome Bettis gets his revenge against Rich Brooks and St. Louis. #HereWeGo https://t.co/kK1ceImwcU pic.twitter.com/3S462CIIMB

— Josh Carney (@ByJoshCarney) May 28, 2022

"It meant everything, because of what was said about me when I was leaving the Rams," Bettis said. "[The Rams] said I wasn't a game breaker, I couldn't impact the game with one play, all these things, and all the things they said I couldn't do, I was able to do against them, which was the best part of all of it. ... That was my opportunity, and I was proud of that moment." 

Bettis also confirmed a recent claim from former teammate and former Steelers All-Pro linebacker Levon Kirkland that the two had a gentleman's agreement not to go against each other in practice after a massive collision during Bettis' first practice in Pittsburgh.

"We sure did, because two bulls in a china shop doesn't work," Bettis said of his agreement with Kirkland. "So we said, 'Hey, man, we're not going to do that, because we're not going to survive if we're doing this every day.' We came to an agreement, and we made sure that every opportunity we had to avoid each other, we did." 

After finishing T30 at the American Century Championship in 2025, Bettis hopes to finish somewhere in the 20s this time around. Bettis is also excited to be part of an event that has raised more than $8 million for regional and national charities. He said his charitable efforts over the years were inspired by a youth camp he attended as an adolescent.

"It's an honor to have an opportunity to play in it," Bettis said. "It's like a dream come true. For an athlete, it's the Super Bowl of golf for a retired athlete. It's special."