It was just three days during mandatory minicamp, but so far, so good on the first impression veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers made on his new teammates.
After signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers just days before the start of mandatory minicamp, putting an end to months of speculation regarding his plans for the 2025 season, Rodgers hit the ground running with the Black and Gold, immersing himself in the franchise and telling his new teammates during a team meeting that he was “all in” from that point on.
So far, his actions have backed that up, and that brief time during minicamp gave a great first impression of Rodgers. Players were “pleasantly surprised” by Rodgers, his personality and the way he interacted with teammates on the field and in the locker room, according to 93.7 The Fan’s Jeff Hathhorn.
Appearing on KDKA-TV’s No. 1 Cochran Sports Showdown Sunday night, Hathhorn stated that things have gone pretty well with Rodgers so far.
“I say this from talking to him, we’ve all talked to the guys, I think their impression was better than they anticipated,” Hathhorn said of Rodgers, according to video via KDKA. “I think most of them are like, ‘Yeah, he’s a cooler guy. He is more normal than what you hear about’ because you hear so many things about Aaron Rodgers.
“Once they experienced him at least for three days, I think they were pleasantly surprised with what they saw.”
With a player like Rodgers, there’s a lot of noise that surrounds him, both on and off the field. A lot of stories can be told, and opinions can be formed before guys even get the chance to meet him and experience him. That might have been the case for some members of the Steelers this offseason as they found themselves waiting for the quarterback to make a decision, leaving the players uncertain about the 2025 season under center.
But then, Rodgers made his decision and stated he’s all-in with the Steelers. He’s inserted himself into the locker room in a big way, too, with reporters stating he’s become one of the guys rather quickly while also helping mentor younger players like quarterback Will Howard in the process.
In Pittsburgh, all Rodgers has to do is play quarterback and be one of the guys. At this point in his career, especially after two trying seasons in New York where he had to be the face of the franchise and was viewed as its savior, that can be welcome for Rodgers as things can slow down a bit and he can just focus on playing good football late in his career.
The Steelers have plenty of leaders in the locker room and voices that carry weight. Rodgers doesn’t have to be one of those voices if he doesn’t want to be. He just has to be one of the guys, himself, and go about being a starting quarterback in the NFL behind the scenes.
According to NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero, that’s exactly what he’s doing, getting to know his teammates, learning the playbook and just going about his business with a new team, endearing himself to his new teammates and coaches.
The Steelers are very clearly in the honeymoon phase with Rodgers. Things are good right now. Hopefully they stay that way into the season, and the Steelers’ gamble on the 41-year-old quarterback pays off.
