One thing that has been clear about QB Aaron Rodgers during his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers is that he’s won over the locker room. Rookie QB Will Howard has been effusive in his praise of Rodgers and how the future Hall of Famer has helped him.
And during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Howard said Rodgers’ leadership has shown itself with how he interacts with everyone on the team.
“He’s taught me a ton, and he’s been super, super open,” Howard said Friday. “He’s very open with not just me, but Skylar [Thompson] and Mason [Rudolph] and everybody else on the offense. He’ll talk to a practice squad tight end the same way he talks to DK [Metcalf]. He gets on everybody, and he expects excellence and he’s demanding, and he’s a great leader. It’s been great to just sit back and watch the way that he operates.”
For Howard, the experience of learning behind a four-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion who’s entering his 21st season in the league is invaluable. Even though Howard likely won’t play much this season and is opening the season on IR, learning from Rodgers will only help his development.
And across the board it’s a benefit to learn from someone who sees the game the way Rodgers does. He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league when it comes to reading defenses and understanding what teams are trying to throw at him, and that can help him work with everyone on offense. That he’s willing to help each and every member of the offense and telling them what he’s seeing and leading is only a good sign for the Steelers.
It’s not particularly surprising, given that Rodgers has drawn praise from his teammates at every stop of his career, but it’s nice to hear that he’s still taking an active leadership role with the Steelers. It’s not the first time Howard or a Steelers teammate has talked about just how good a leader Rodgers is, and his leadership style should help the collective. He’s not easy on his teammates, nor should he be, but it seems as if he’s always willing to help and lend advice, and that’s the mark of a good leader.
If he can continue to get guys to rally behind him, then the Steelers’ offense should be in good shape in 2025, and Rodgers can have a nice bounce-back season.
