Aaron Rodgers, to nobody’s surprise, arrived at the Steelers’ facility with very different energy compared to his predecessor, Russell Wilson. When Mike Tomlin talked about Wilson, he spoke of him arriving “scalded” and with something to prove. There was a clear agenda, a focus on rejuvenation, a redemption arc.
That’s not Aaron Rodgers’ story, or at least the one he presented during his introductory press conference. He took a bargain contract to come here, and he said he did it because it was good for his soul. For ESPN reporter Brooke Pryor, that difference from Wilson might be a good thing.
“It felt like this was a guy saying, ‘I don’t need football, but I want to keep playing for the love of the game,’” she said about Rodgers’ press conference message. “There wasn’t the whole, ‘I’m gonna get up here and I’m gonna be the one to win the seventh Lombardi’. It felt very different from Russell Wilson’s introductory press conference from a year ago when he talked about finding the fountain of youth and being hungry.
“Wasn’t quite the same intensity, and I don’t think that that’s necessarily a bad thing,” she added, contrasting Rodgers’ words against what we heard from Wilson a year ago. “It was just different, and maybe that’s what the Steelers need.”
During his introductory press conference, Russell Wilson noted the Steelers’ trophy case had six Lombardi trophies. “We’ve got to get a seventh,” he said. Notably, Aaron Rodgers didn’t talk about winning Super Bowls, even if that’s why he’s here.
Make no mistake, the Steelers signed Rodgers to win games, and that’s what they need him to do. But one might argue Russell Wilson came in here with a sense of desperation. Even though both have a Super Bowl ring, and Wilson actually had more postseason success, it seems he felt he had more to prove.
Rodgers is, after all, a four-time NFL MVP, and his Hall of Fame candidacy is not in question. He doesn’t have anything to prove, and will be considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Although he is coming off an ugly two years in New York, the way Wilson did in Denver, it’s different.
Maybe it’s because Aaron Rodgers is older, and he was ready to walk away from the game. Wilson, in contrast, still insists he has another five or more years left in him. He’ll have a shot with at least one more year with the Giants, even though he wanted to stay in Pittsburgh.
But the Steelers didn’t feel he was the right option for them. They had every opportunity to re-sign Wilson, but they pivoted to Rodgers for a reason. And if we’re being honest, that’s about what he does with his arm, not his vibes.
