The Pittsburgh Steelers signed QB Aaron Rodgers ahead of their mandatory minicamp, and while Rodgers didn’t participate in team reps over the three days, he said the experience was beneficial for him. On The Pat McAfee Show Tuesday, Rodgers said that watching the team dynamics while on the sideline was “exciting” for him.
“It was a weird experience in the best way for me to not take team reps in the minicamp, ’cause I just got watch. So I just was watching everything, and I don’t miss a whole lot,” he said. “So I’m watching the dynamics between the offense and defense, I’m watching the dynamics as the leadership starts to show where it is. And I think that’s the thing that’s already exciting about Pittsburgh, is the built-in leadership that already exists there.”
Rodgers joined the Steelers late in the offseason process, and being able to take a step back and understand how the team operates and get an idea for its leadership structure was important. While Rodgers is going to take on a leadership role as the Steelers’ starting quarterback and a veteran who has played 20 seasons in the league, getting a feel for their leadership structure and how best to lead the team is a good thing.
Rodgers talked about earning the “mantra of leadership” on offense and said it’s something he’s going to strive for during training camp.
“I really want the mantra of leadership on offense. I’m going to earn it every single day in training camp.”
Pittsburgh hasn’t necessarily had a void of offensive leadership, as Russell Wilson was respected last season and players like Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth took on a larger leadership role last season. But Harris and Wilson are gone, and the Steelers’ defense has always seemed to have the bulk of the team’s leaders. That includes players like Cameron Heyward, whom Rodgers effusively praised and said he got to spend a lot of time with during minicamp, T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Having a Super Bowl-winning quarterback and four-time league MVP under center who’s willing to lead is going to be important for the Steelers. Rodgers has already been a strong mentor for rookie quarterback Will Howard and he’s hosting throwing sessions in Malibu, Calif., next week to get to know his pass catchers, which is already a good sign for him taking on a real leadership role in Pittsburgh.
By understanding the team dynamics and leadership structure and being able to get a good feel for how the team operates, Rodgers should be able to understand what makes the team tick and apply that to becoming the leader the team and offense need.
