The Pittsburgh Steelers will play in their first preseason game of the year Saturday night in Jacksonville. Unfortunately, many of their starters, including QB Aaron Rodgers, won’t suit up. That means fans will have to wait to see how the Steelers’ new players look. The team has been busy this offseason, making its share of notable moves. That made this training camp even more important, with the Steelers needing to jell. Former Steelers offensive lineman Willie Colon gave his assessment on what he’s seen from the team at training camp.
“Aaron Rodgers looks damn good in camp,” Colon said recently on The Why Willie Show with J.J. Williams podcast. “I don’t know if they’re talking about that enough. Aaron Rodgers is doing a hell of a job in training camp. For a guy, who’s 41 years old, he looked good.
“He looks really, really good. He looks in shape. The rest of the team is trying to get on his level. It’s a young group. It’s a group that’s got a lot of dog fights ahead of them, but everybody seems committed to the cause.”
Colon was actually with the Steelers at training camp for a few days, getting some work in their scouting department. Therefore, he had a front-row seat to watch Rodgers practice.
Over the first few days of training camp, Rodgers and the Steelers’ offense didn’t look their best. However, that’s to be expected. Most defenses are ahead of offenses to start camp. However, after that initial period, Rodgers and company have continued to improve.
This season will mark Rodgers’ 21st one in the NFL. While he isn’t in his prime anymore, his skills aren’t diminished to a point of ineffectiveness. Rodgers’ arm still has a lot of zip, and his mind might be his most dangerous weapon. He might not be as athletic as he once was, but that isn’t holding him back too much.
It makes sense that the rest of the Steelers’ offense is working to adjust to Rodgers. While he’s the newcomer, he’s also their starting quarterback. Skill players and offensive linemen need to get used to Rodgers, like his cadence, how he throws the ball, how he wants his receivers to run routes, and more.
Thankfully, it seems like everyone is starting to get on the same page. Rodgers is starting to develop a better connection with receivers like DK Metcalf and Roman Wilson. The Steelers’ young offensive line is putting things together, too. Colon is correct that they’ve been committed to improving. Hopefully, that hard work shows during actual games, too.
