As a 20-year veteran, Aaron Rodgers is a known commodity in the NFL. However, he’s managed to stick around that long for a reason. While he’s not the same player that he once was, he should still make the Pittsburgh Steelers a better team. They might need some time to get used to how he does things, though. That includes his cadence, which he’s notorious for using to get defenses to jump offsides. While that could be difficult for the Steelers to get used to, Zach Frazier believes it will only make the team better.
“I don’t view it as a challenge,” Frazier said Thursday via the team’s website. “I view it as we can use it as a weapon. He has a lot of different cadence, and if we can get them all down, that’s an advantage for us. Harder for the defense.”
Rodgers’ cadence has been one of the most underrated parts of his game for years. There are numerous examples of him getting defenses to jump early, allowing his team to get off a free play.
However, that’s also a double-edged sword, especially with a new team. Rodgers’ cadence is new to the Steelers. As a result, their offense has just as much potential to move early as their opponents.
Frazier doesn’t think that will be a problem, though. While Rodgers hasn’t been with the Steelers very long, only joining them once mandatory minicamp began, he’s bonded with their offense quickly. Early on in camp, Mason McCormick explained that the Steelers’ offensive line was starting to jell with Rodgers’ cadence. That’s a good sign for their future.
Rodgers has also spoken highly of the Steelers’ offensive line, Frazier in particular. That quarterback-center duo started off a little shaky in camp, but things have been much smoother since then. Now, they have to prove they can succeed in the regular season.
We’ll see how often Rodgers’ cadence grants the Steelers a free play. Adding that wrinkle to their offense would be good, though. That unit has been sluggish in recent years, so they can use every advantage that they can get. Hopefully, Frazier is correct that it doesn’t backfire and hurt the Steelers’ offense.
