Aaron Rodgers and Pat Freiermuth are just getting to know each other, but there are ways of accelerating that. While the Steelers are now on a break before training camp, some of the players anticipate working out in between.
Rodgers himself said that he plans to bring guys out to Malibu, and Freiermuth recently echoed those sentiments. “Yeah, I’m sure”, he said when asked if he expects to get work in with Rodgers via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I’m sure he’ll want to work out with us and get to know us more and do what most organizations do in the offseason. Skill position guys get together, so I’m looking forward to that. It should be good”.
For Pat Freiermuth, Aaron Rodgers is just another starting quarterback, and yet not. Coming into the league in 2021, the tight end experienced Ben Roethlisberger’s final season. In 2022-2023, he played with Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, and Mason Rudolph as starters. Last season, the Steelers brought in Russell Wilson, with Justin Fields starting six games.
Freiermuth admitted that it’s been tough to have that inconsistency at quarterback, but Aaron Rodgers is still Aaron Rodgers. Even for everything he has accomplished, even Russell Wilson isn’t Aaron Rodgers. To some extent, even Ben Roethlisberger wasn’t, as a pure and consistent passer and reader of defenses.
Making matters worse is that Rodgers didn’t even show up until June, but Freiermuth isn’t worried. “There’s more than enough time” to get in sync, he insisted. “It’s just more so us getting caught up to what he does and him getting caught up to what we do as an offense. There’s a lot of time between now and September, whenever our first game is. We’ve got plenty of time to build that chemistry”.
Thus far, Aaron Rodgers has only participated in three practices and hasn’t even worked with Pat Freiermuth and the rest of the offense in team periods. During his three minicamp outings, HC Mike Tomlin limited him to individual drills.
While he hasn’t thrown privately with Freiermuth yet, Rodgers did work with WR DK Metcalf long before he actually signed. The Steelers have about 40 days before training camp opens, so that’s plenty of time to organize a couple of throwing sessions.
In the meantime, he will spend his time working on Arthur Smith’s offense and perhaps suggesting some tweaks. He is the quarterback, after all, and it makes sense for him to be comfortable. That includes Rodgers building comfort with Freiermuth and the rest of his skill players. Ideally, that develops over the full course of an offseason. But beggars can’t be choosers. And Rodgers probably knows a thing or two he’s learned over 20 years, as well.
