The Pittsburgh Steelers officially re-signed Aaron Rodgers on Monday, bringing back the 21-year veteran for a second season. The move reunites Rodgers with coach Mike McCarthy, marking their first collaboration since their contentious split in Green Bay in 2018.

But the reunion is raising red flags among analysts who see it as a Band-Aid on deeper organizational problems.

McCarthy's Reluctant Deal

On FOX Sports' "The Herd," analyst Geoff Schwartz suggested McCarthy is swallowing hard on the decision. According to Schwartz, the coach would prefer developing young quarterbacks but has been forced to accept ownership's directive to retain Rodgers.

"I think [Mike] McCarthy is publicly taking a bullet because he would rather go with the kids," Colin Cowherd said. "But he got the job and part of the deal is don't badmouth us when we bring Aaron [Rodgers] back."

A Fraught History

The elephant in the room: Rodgers and McCarthy parted ways badly. McCarthy's 2018 firing in Green Bay followed reported friction with his star quarterback, a reality Schwartz highlighted as problematic.

"Remember, Aaron Rodgers and McCarthy did not end well, like he got him fired," Schwartz said. "Now, they're supposed to be best friends again at work? They're professionals, but again, I don't know if you're a Steelers fan, how you're looking forward to the season."

Nine Years Without a Playoff Win

Pittsburgh's structural problems run deeper than quarterback drama. The Steelers have won just one playoff game in nine years—a 2017 victory over Kansas City. Since then, the franchise has cycled through mediocrity, consistently landing in the 8-9 win range.

"They haven't won a playoff game in nine years, but you knew how the last nine were going to go anyway, but this doesn't feel like any hope," Schwartz said.

The Reset Pittsburgh Won't Take

Schwartz argues the real problem is organizational stubbornness. While McCarthy might privately prefer a rebuild—shedding aging players and investing in youth—Pittsburgh's pride is preventing a necessary reset.

"I think that if you asked McCarthy, 'hey, let's sort of get rid of the old guys, let's go young this year and next year we'll hit it hard,' I think he would rather take that. But the pride, the organization, at some point you should have to say for a year or two that we're going to be bad."

The Steelers have never entered a true rebuild, a stance Schwartz argues is costing them. Other franchises—he pointed to the Patriots' recent turnaround with Drake Maye—have proven that resetting works when done strategically.

"There's probably examples of it working. The Patriots got Drake Maye, like it works if you do it right. It does work if you do it right and Pittsburgh refuses to do it right."