Michael Wilbon calls out ESPN on air for constant spotlight on an 'irrelevant' Aaron Rodgers

Jan 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) audibles during the second half of an AFC Wild Card Round game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

On Tuesday morning, the topic of Aaron Rodgers came up on First Take after he recently signed a deal to return to play for the Steelers next season.

Analyst Michael Wilbon didn't hold back on the topic when it was his time to talk.

Wilbon criticized ESPN for continuing to give Rodgers on-air attention, calling Rodgers "irrelevant."

He indicated that Rodgers has had a successful career, but at this stage of his career, he isn't worth talking about.

"What makes him relevant now?...this network, talking about him every day...at this point, he's not LeBron James, he's not Tom Brady, he's not playing that way into his 40s. This whole thing is overstated," Wilbon said.

Rodgers, 42, is about to enter his 22nd year in the league. Despite making the playoffs with a 10-7 record this past season, Pittsburgh was once again eliminated in its first playoff game.

They're on a six-playoff-game losing streak, with no postseason wins since 2016.

The Mike Tomlin era is over in Pittsburgh, and it seems holding on to Rodgers is delaying the Steelers timeline going forward.