One of the biggest challenges when bringing in a new quarterback is to get the offense on the same page with the cadence. Every quarterback in the league has a different cadence, and new Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers has one of the most sophisticated ones in the league. It’s caused problems for his offensive line in the past, particularly last year. In a Week 4 loss against the Denver Broncos, the New York Jets’ offensive line had five false starts, and ESPN’s Brooke Pryor said on SportsCenter today that Pittsburgh’s offensive line is trying something unusual to prepare for it.
“One other thing I thought was interesting is that Rodgers’ new offensive line is preparing for his unusual cadence by listening to recordings of it that their coaches are going to get them.”
Rodgers has been a master at creating free plays throughout his career by drawing defenses offsides with his cadence, and it’s something that could be beneficial to his game and Pittsburgh’s offense. But it’s an adjustment to learn for an offensive line that’s never worked with him before, and to get ahead of any hiccups in training camp, the Steelers’ offensive line is spending time getting it down.
Instead of listening to their music of choice in their headphones on the beach during their break, Zach Frazier, Broderick Jones and co. will be hearing a lot of “Green 19.” It’s a smart strategy to allow them to be ready for it during training camp, and then getting adjusted to it during live reps should prevent any real issues when the season gets underway.
It would bring down Pittsburgh’s whole operation if they had to spend time in camp for the offensive line and Rodgers to really get on the same page with his cadence. Putting in the work ahead of time, like Pittsburgh’s pass catchers are going to do when they work with Rodgers in Malibu, should hopefully ease that transition with a new quarterback.
Learning and adapting to a new cadence is an underrated challenge when bringing in a new quarterback, particularly when the cadence is as detailed as Rodgers’ is. It’s a cadence he said during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show last seasona he adapted from Brett Favre, and despite it’s difficulty and some of the issues with the Jets last season, it’s not something he’s going to change.
With Aaron Rodgers entering his 21st season, there’s no reason for him to change his mode of operation. What he’s done has worked well for him in the past, and it’s up to his teammates now with the Steelers to learn it and get on the same page. It may not be a traditional technique for Pittsburgh’s offensive line to listen to his cadence to prepare for it, but it’s a technique that could pay major dividends when the season gets underway.
