From the outside looking in, it appeared that the Pittsburgh Steelers were living on a prayer for three months starting with free agency until Aaron Rodgers finally signed his contract in early June. Even the top local and national insiders had very little information to pass on throughout the process, which led to a wide array of speculation. The Steelers were comfortable with waiting throughout the process, and it turns out that was because of regular communication between Rodgers and head coach Mike Tomlin.
“I had conversations with Mike T. every single week,” Rodgers said during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show today. “It was really through those conversations that this became a reality. Most people who come to the Steelers talk about one of the reasons being Mike T. I can say that was right at the top. The conversations we had, [it] felt like you were talking to an old friend.”
It’s a natural union of two of the most established figures in the NFL. Rodgers is entering his 21st season as the oldest player in the NFL while Tomlin is the longest-tenured head coach going on his 19th season. They have had respect for each other for a long time, including the 2010 Super Bowl in which Rodgers defeated the Steelers and their world-class defense.
According to Rodgers’ former teammate James Jones, he used to talk about Tomlin “all the time”. So while they didn’t have a relationship prior to just a few months ago when these weekly conversations began, they had watched each other from afar for the better part of two decades.
Famously, Tomlin and Rodgers shared a moment on the field when he was with the Green Bay Packers where the veteran QB attempted to catch the Steelers in a substitution as he often does. With Tomlin being the film junkie that he is, he identified what Rodgers was trying to do and called a timeout to thwart his plans. They locked eyes and exchanged a smile with each other. It was a clear sign of respect from Rodgers to Tomlin.
As much as Pittsburgh fans are fed up with the lack of recent playoff success, Tomlin remains one of the best head coaches in the league from a leadership perspective. He attracts free agents and is routinely cited as one of the main reasons that players wanted to play in Pittsburgh. That makes Omar Khan’s life a lot easier when it comes time to negotiate a contract.
Fans and media alike were left in the dark with Rodgers and his decision for three months, but we now know why Khan, Tomlin and even Art Rooney II struck a tone of confidence the whole way through it. We also know who was steering the ship in the Steelers’ pursuit of the four-time league MVP.
