It’s clear that Terry Bradshaw isn’t about to suggest Aaron Rodgers should wear the number 12 jersey for the Steelers. It’s even more obvious that Rodgers wouldn’t agree to it.

Bradshaw was blunt, as he often is, regarding the Steelers’ decision to wait indefinitely on Rodgers.

“That’s ridiculous,” Bradshaw remarked on 103.7 The Buzz in Little Rock, Arkansas (as reported by CBSSports.com). “I find that notion laughable. What, bring him in for just a single season? Are you serious? . . . . He should remain in California. Head out there, munch on some tree bark, and have conversations with the spirits.”

Bradshaw believes the Steelers should have given 2022 first-rounder Kenny Pickett more of a chance.

“I was a fan of Kenny Pickett,” Bradshaw mentioned. “I appreciated his play at Pitt. I know him and understand his character. When Pittsburgh got him, here’s what they failed to do: They didn’t offer him protection…they didn’t provide a solid offensive line. They were focused on running the ball without a line capable of proper defense, and they also lacked weapons. He virtually had no notable wide receivers.”

“And then they throw a kid in there for two years and you’ve got an offense that doesn’t fit and doesn’t work, and they can’t run because their offensive line’s not even good enough for a run blocking team. And therefore they say Pickett was a failure. He wasn’t a failure, the Steelers were a failure.”

The Steelers are willing to give Rodgers as much time as he wants because they believe, with Rodgers at quarterback, they won’t fail in 2025.

It all depends on what counts as success. Making the playoffs? Winning a playoff game? Getting to the conference championship?

Rodgers simply needs a season strong enough to cause his 2024 experience with the Jets to be viewed as an aberration. The Steelers and their fans could be aiming a lot higher than that.