When the Steelers elected to pursue QB Aaron Rodgers, they knew they were getting more than just a starting quarterback. They were getting one of the greatest minds in football, and he has been putting that mind to use. On Wednesday, WR DK Metcalf mentioned one of those ways as the ringleader for player development in the classroom.
“We have a player-led meeting on Thursdays where he’s the head of the meeting. He does a lot of coaching up there, what he sees that we can do better, and everybody’s just listening to him and taking notes”, Metcalf said of Rodgers, via the Steelers’ website.
While Metcalf said in response to a follow-up question that he was familiar with regular player-led meetings in Seattle, he didn’t specifically say if they were typically led by one person. Of course, while there, he had QB Russell Wilson, who also exudes leadership. Aaron Rodgers, however, is on another level when it comes to details and Xs and Os.
While Rodgers hasn’t been flawless since arriving in Pittsburgh—and has taken the blame—he has been an asset on and off the field. Steelers RG Mason McCormick yesterday talked about Rodgers picking up things at the line even the linemen didn’t see until their quarterback pointed them out.
Regardless of one’s knowledge, however, you have to perform if you’re a player and earning a player’s salary. Fortunately for the Steelers, they have gotten that out of Aaron Rodgers, as well. He is completing 68.6 percent of his passes and leads the NFL in touchdown percentage. Although he has authored two fourth-quarter comebacks, only one resulted in a win. The defense squandered a late 68-yard go-ahead touchdown pass from Rodgers last Thursday. Bummer
Since the offseason, Rodgers’ teammates have routinely shared stories about how he has enriched their game. It doesn’t even matter what position they play, because he knows their job. There isn’t much he hasn’t seen or done or experienced in the NFL over his decades in the league, and it has shown in all sorts of different ways.
Of course, it’s no surprise that Aaron Rodgers would take the mantle in these meetings. We don’t know for sure if the Steelers had similar meetings last year, but we know position groups break off on their own. The offensive line does, and in the past, so has the defensive back room.
It will be interesting to see if anybody else is asked this week to elaborate on the player-only meetings Metcalf mentioned. Typically, we hear about such things—or the confiscation of ping-pong tables—when a team is struggling. For the Steelers, weekly lessons from Mr. Rodgers are just par for the course.
