One of the main recurring storylines for the Pittsburgh Steelers over the last few seasons has been the lack of leadership on the offensive side of the ball. While Aaron Rodgers can’t be the long-term solution to that issue, he plans on being a Band-Aid fix and can even help mold the next generation of leaders on the team.
He spoke about his desire to fill that role for the Steelers’ offense this year via The Pat McAfee Show this afternoon.
“I really want the mantra of leadership on offense,” Rodgers said. “I’m gonna earn it every single day in training camp. But there’s some stability I think that I can bring having played in a similar system for a long time and having just played a ton of football. I told the guys in the first team meeting, ‘I wanna pass on my knowledge.'”
Rodgers addressed his new teammates after he signed before mandatory minicamp and informed them he is all-in on 2025. Apparently that wasn’t the only message he passed along. He also made it clear that he is an open book for anybody who wants to take advantage of his wealth of knowledge.
“I played 20 years, I wanna share those experiences with you guys, with whoever wants to learn offense, defense, team whatever it is about life, about football,” Rodgers said. “About the mistakes I’ve made and how to learn from those on the field, off the field, professional, personal, business, whatever it is. I’m gonna pass on everything that I’ve learned to these guys.”
Since minicamp ended, Rodgers has more than backed up his promise to be all-in for 2025. He’s been training on his own at Proactive Sports Performance, with offseason meetups already lined up—one with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to review the playbook and others with teammates in Malibu for extra reps before camp. If he brings the same wholehearted commitment to his leadership and mentorship as he has to his “all-in” promise to teammates, this could be a great situation for the entire roster.
The onus then falls on the young players to take advantage of that open offer from Rodgers. Will Howard appears to already be doing that in the meeting room, but receivers, linemen, tight ends, and even defensive players can gather valuable insight from Rodgers if they ask the right questions. Rodgers is known as one of the smartest players to ever play the position, and very few played the game as long as he has. That experience is invaluable for the rest of the roster.
Rodgers told McAfee that this is likely his last season, but his one year has the chance to leave a lasting impact on the roster. The things that Zach Frazier and the other young offensive linemen learn can be spread to others who come and go in the future. And nobody is tied to the team longer than DK Metcalf at the moment with a contract that runs through 2029. All the information he absorbs can help the roster for years to come.
The media has often painted Rodgers in a negative light. But what he is saying about earning a leadership role at training camp makes that image seem far from reality.
