Sunday will begin the real test of how Aaron Rodgers’ season with the Pittsburgh Steelers goes. Maybe he soars. Maybe he sinks. Right now, the franchise couldn’t be happier. Tucked in a packet of NFL news and notes from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini is glowing praise for the body of work Rodgers has put together – even if what matters most begins with tomorrow’s kickoff.
“The New York Jets on Sunday will face their former quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, who I’m told has quietly had a phenomenal training camp for the Steelers,” Russini wrote in a Saturday column. “Rodgers, according to folks I’ve talked with in Pittsburgh, looks refreshed, healthy, and ready to roll.”
As one of football’s most recognizable quarterbacks, it’s hard for Rodgers to do anything “quiet.” His camp was solid and something we and other outlets noted throughout. Knocking off some early rust, Rodgers flashed an arm that looks as “live” as ever with one of the NFL’s most unique throwing motions that offensive coordinator Arthur Smith admitted took time for his receivers to adjust to.
Our camp grades reflected a largely positive summer. The leadership intangibles he showed between snaps were just as impressive as his play.
“Much of Rodgers’ camp was about the intangible,” we wrote in our evaluation. “Building chemistry with teammates, working his way into leadership. And Rodgers seems to have done both. He made it a point to position himself in the stretch line with the defense. He’d talk to more than just the stars. One day, it might be DeMarvin Leal. Another, it might be one of the team’s many trainers. When Rodgers acknowledges the importance of integrating himself into part of the team, he walks the walk.”
While most veterans loathe training camp, Rodgers embraced Pittsburgh’s. Even sharing a room with WR DK Metcalf, Rodgers enjoyed the Steelers’ destination camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, an environment that helped him bond with teammates he had spent little to no time with. Pittsburgh held him out of preseason action to ensure he’d be fully healthy for Sunday’s opener.
Glowing as Russini’s report is, all that matters is everything in front of Rodgers and the Steelers. Can he bring Pittsburgh its best quarterback play in years? Is it enough to compete in a difficult conference and division? List out all the AFC’s quarterbacks, and Rodgers still might struggle to crack the top ten: Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, and C.J. Stroud are all comfortably ahead. Geno Smith, Trevor Lawrence, a rising Bo Nix, and a fully healthy Tua Tagovailoa are debatable.
Pittsburgh’s banking on Rodgers making those around him better and vice versa. A strong Steelers’ running game and stout defense, combined with Rodgers’ play, will create a team capable of making the playoffs and advancing in postseason play.
