Former NFL offensive lineman Alex Boone delivered the most scathing criticism of Aaron Rodgers’ season yet, declaring on the NFL Offensive Line Podcast that the 42-year-old quarterback “should have retired years ago” following the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ 20-3 loss to the New England Patriots. Joined by a chorus of frustrated fans on social media echoing similar calls, Boone did not hold back on what he sees as a severe physical and mental decline.

“‘Listen, if it’s not there, throw the check down.’ And if you can’t do that, maybe we do have to bench you because, dude, at some point they’re just taking the f****** ball from you in the middle of the play. And it’s like, dude. He should have retired years ago,” Boone said.

On the podcast, Boone criticized Rodgers for holding the ball too long, missing checkdowns that used to be automatic, and getting stripped in the middle of the play instead of throwing it away. Boone argued it is not a system failure, but a quarterback who can no longer process the game at the required speed.

“And that’s why I get so mad is because at one point I used to see this guy on the other side f****** murder our defense,” he added.

Boone’s frustration was clear. Having spent nine years protecting NFL quarterbacks, he mourned the dominant player Rodgers once was while expressing anger at what remains.

The numbers reflect that steep trajectory, mirroring the late-career physical drop-offs historically seen in legends like Peyton Manning and Drew Brees.

Rodgers’ 2025 stats showed clear warning signs with a career-low 6.7 yards per attempt and 3,322 passing yards. Through two 2026 games, Pittsburgh’s offense ranks among the worst in the league by EPA per play, according to The Athletic‘s Mike Sando.

Head coach Mike McCarthy, who reunited with Rodgers after their 13-year tenure in Green Bay, took responsibility for the struggles, asserting the offense needs to give Rodgers better platforms to throw off of.

“We’ve got to give Aaron better platforms to throw off of,” McCarthy told reporters, as per Bleacher Report. “I don’t want to dink and dunk all day and play keep-away football. There’s a place for that, maybe situationally, but that’s not the philosophy.”

Meanwhile, Rodgers simply said, “The best teams are player-led teams.”

The future Hall of Famer has recorded 408 passing yards, one touchdown pass, and one interception through two games, completing 59.5% of his passes. Against the Patriots, Rodgers was under constant pressure, getting sacked four times and hit seven other times. A fumble on a strip-sack resulted in a scoop-and-score touchdown that sealed New England’s victory.

Pittsburgh managed just 235 total yards on 3.5 yards per play, with running backs consistently met at the line of scrimmage and no Steelers receiver eclipsing 35 receiving yards.

Boone still respects Rodgers, but watching a once-dominant quarterback degrade so sharply stung. The Steelers (1-1) face Cincinnati next with little time to fix their offense. They can continue pointing to scheme adjustments and player-led leadership, but between career-low production and a 20-3 loss, the calls for retirement are only getting louder.