He’s been a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers for just under three months now, but veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers is helping shape the organization ahead of the 2025 season, both on and off the field.
“Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has added a level of accountability on the practice field and in the facility, according to sources around the team,” The Athletic’s Jeff Howe writes as part of an intel report on all 32 teams coming out of training camp. “The offense appears to still be working through some things, as there’s been a lot of turnover at key positions, but Rodgers has been intentional about teaching as much as possible after each play. Don’t be shocked if it’s bumpy out of the gate.
“However, it’s fair to be cautiously optimistic that Rodgers, wideout DK Metcalf and company will eventually find their rhythm.”
Stepping into a team that was relatively young last season but now has the
second-oldest roster in football, that accountability and the been there, done that mindset will be a huge boost for Pittsburgh. In the past, the offense was very young and
didn’t really have that leadership, even last year with Russell Wilson at quarterback.
After joining the Steelers, Rodgers talked time and time again about wanting to earn that leadership role on his new team. He was intentional with it, too, stretching with different players daily, having lunch with others, getting to know guys top to bottom of the roster.
It’s resonated, and he has guys wanting to follow him. One of those guys is second-year receiver Roman Wilson. After missing most of his rookie season with injuries, playing just five total snaps, Wilson had a very strong offseason in OTAs and minicamp. But he got off to a slow start in training camp and had to be coached up by Rodgers.
After being a relatively young team in recent years, the Steelers changed things drastically this offseason, being uber aggressive and adding veterans with great resumes. Will it be enough to get over the hump in the playoffs? Time will tell. But right now, there appears to be real accountability on the field and in the locker room, and that bodes well for the regular season in Pittsburgh.
