One day into Pittsburgh Steelers training camp and new starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers is already making headlines.
Rodgers threw an interception Thursday on his first snap with the Steelers and then said after practice that the 2025 season ultimately might not be his final one in the NFL.
That now has the likes of ESPN’s Michelle Smallmon believing that the Steelers’ experiment with Rodgers this season turning out to be a disaster. Appearing on ESPN Radio’s Unsportsmanlike Friday morning, Smallmon credited the Steelers for being aggressive this offseason.
But ultimately, with the move at quarterback being Rodgers, things won’t go well for the Black and Gold.
“The Steelers know that they aren’t meeting their own standards of excellence, and they made some moves this offseason that are kinda the antithesis of their business model that produced so much past success,” Smallmon said, according to audio via ESPN Radio. “And while that sounds good on the surface, it’s not ideal when that deviation is a soon-to-be 42-year-old quarterback who’s two years removed from a season-ending Achilles tear. And he loves to put himself in his team in the spotlight. And that’s not how it usually goes down in Pittsburgh.
“I think this is gonna be a huge disaster. And that’s a storyline worth watching. The moves they made this offseason are them saying that they’re in win-now mode, but they’re not gonna [win].”
That’s one heck of a take after just one day of training camp and one Rodgers media session.
Sure, Rodgers’ comments about this might not be his final season created some attention. He knew what he was doing though. You could tell in his answer he was loose and keeping things light, all while taking some attention off others. He’s comfortable in the spotlight, and that’s okay.
His interception on the first snap of training camp doesn’t matter, either. Rodgers has the best interception percentage in NFL history. When the games are real and the lights are bright, he’s takes care of the football historically.
The Steelers were aggressive this offseason, adding a number of experienced, big-name players. They believe they are close to getting over the hump and truly competing for a Super Bowl. Time will tell if that is the case.
But one day of practice without pads, and one media session shouldn’t have analysts like Smallmon making definitive statements like she did Friday morning.
The vibes are high around the Steelers and teammates are believing in — and buying into — Rodgers and his leadership. Maybe they’re just in the honeymoon phase, but give it a chance.
