All eyes are on QB Aaron Rodgers and OC Arthur Smith. They won’t be paired up for a long time, but they’re hoping it’s a good time. Though former players and pundits question if the two can co-exist, Rodgers is enjoying every minute of learning the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense from his new coach.
“I see two people who really love football coming together and gaining trust in one another as the season continues on,” Rodgers said during a Monday interview with Adam Schein on Mad Dog Radio. “I think personality-wise, he is somebody who I’d be friends with if we didn’t play. If we didn’t have the football connection. Just his sarcasm, his sense of humor, the way that he talks to people, and his general personality.”
Rodgers and Smith don’t need to be best friends, but a healthy working relationship is key. Trust in one another is critical to making the Steelers’ offense go. Trust in the coordinator to come up with a good game plan, have answers to the test, and put Rodgers in a position to succeed. Trust in the quarterback to disagree when appropriate and run the show when the defense presents something unexpected.
The two haven’t had much time together. Rodgers didn’t sign until June and didn’t take his first team reps until the end of July. He didn’t play in the preseason, meaning his first in-stadium snaps (excluding the joint practice against Tampa Bay) won’t come until the regular season begins. At least that will be on familiar grounds, heading back to East Rutherford to take on the New York Jets.
Smith’s brand of football involves plenty of ground-and-pound. But Rodgers doesn’t see it as archaic.
“That’s what I love about Art’s offense. It’s a very creative offense,” he told Schein. “We’ve spent a lot of time together talking through concepts and ideas and philosophy and different things.”
Smith’s offense is multiple and will lean on spreading the ball around. Pittsburgh has a deep bench of tight ends, and the top three, Pat Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith, and Darnell Washington, can and will all catch the ball. DK Metcalf is Smith’s ideal No. 1 receiver, an AJ Brown type, while the other receivers offer speed and field-stretching ability.
“I feel like Art and I are gonna be friends long after this ends,” Rodgers said of Smith. “And that’s an important part of it because there’s gotta be a trust. There’s gotta be a feel. And we’ve been spending a lot of time together this month, just talking ball and talking situations. I’m really excited about working together. And I think it’s gonna be a lot of fun.”
The depth of that friendship might depend on how the rest of 2025 goes. Rodgers and Smith have the chance to turn around the narratives of their recent careers. Rodgers is cooked and better off in retirement. Smith, a failed head coach who thrived in Tennessee because he had Derrick Henry. Like any player or coach, both will be judged purely by results.
