Just a few short weeks after stating he was going to get new teammates to come out to Malibu for offseason workouts ahead of training camp, new Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers is hard at work on the bonding aspect of things.
With Calvin Austin III already in Malibu and seemingly part of the WR contingent that will be working out with Rodgers, veteran Ben Skowronek now also appears to be among that group on the West Coast.
In an Instagram reel posted by Skowronek, he can be seen catching alley-oops from Rodgers off of the backboard in a gymnasium, skying for dunks.
Rodgers was surprised by Skowronek’s abilities, too.
“I did not expect that,” Rodgers said laughing after another Skowronek dunk, according to the video on Skowronek’s Instagram.
Check out Rodgers dishing out assists to Skowronek below.
With Steelers players set to report to training camp on July 23 in Latrobe at Saint Vincent College, players are trying to cram in one last offseason group workout across the NFL landscape. Last week on The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers revealed that teammates would be joining him in Malibu this week for workouts, and so far that appears to be the case.
Along with Skowronek and Austin, tight end Pat Freiermuth is seemingly in attendance, and wide receiver DK Metcalf also stated during mandatory minicamp that he would be working out with Rodgers before training camp, too, so chances are he will be in Malibu this week as well.
After signing on June 5, missing all Organized Team Activities, Rodgers is trying to play catch-up some with his new receivers ahead of training camp. Obviously the work the group does this week before reporting to training camp will be important, but most of those kinks will be worked out during training camp in Latrobe as Rodgers will likely get a lot of work in, learning the nuances of his receivers, how they get into and out of breaks, and where they like the ball on certain routes.
That’s something that Freiermuth stated in early June he wanted to get on the same page with Rodgers right away after his signing, and it’s likely that other pass catchers feel the same way and want to work out the initial kinks with the Hall of Fame quarterback.
For Skowronek, who signed a two-year deal this offseason to return as a valuable blocker and special teams piece, he might not be a huge weapon for Rodgers to utilize, though Rodgers has had a knack for turning little-used receivers into big-play merchants, like Jake Kumerow in Green Bay.
We’ll see what other names pop up in Malibu this week with Rodgers, but it’s great to see the new Steelers’ quarterback putting in work with his pass catchers, bonding on and off the field ahead of what is likely his final season in the NFL in a Hall of Fame career.
