LATROBE, Pa. — There’s a twinkle in Aaron Rodgers’ blue-gray eyes these days.
He’s energized by both the newness of his surroundings as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the feeling of familiarity associated with once again having a place within a stable and storied NFL franchise just as he did during those 18 seasons in Green Bay.
The Steelers just wrapped up training camp — a four-week-long football retreat held on the picturesque campus of St. Vincent College, roughly an hour east of Pittsburgh. The setting — a return to college dorm life, isolation from the outside world, cafeteria team meals, practices in the heat of the day — has aided Rodgers in his transition to his third, and likely final, NFL team.
After two New York Jets seasons marred by injury and dysfunction, Rodgers finds welcome in a Steelers culture wherein every player understands his place within the franchise, thanks largely to the leadership of a head coach Rodgers truly respects: Mike Tomlin — the longest tenured coach of all four of North America’s major sports leagues. Over the last month, Rodgers has worked to learn his teammates and a foreign playbook. The Steelers, in turn, have begun to truly learn him.
“He loves football,” Tomlin declared. “That’s the thing that’s on the tip of my tongue. He displays it daily. He has a love affair with this game — one that he’s willing to share with others. He’s passionate about it, and I think it’s contagious.”
At this point — approaching 42, one of the most decorated quarterbacks in NFL history and entering his 21st season — Rodgers truly is playing for the love of the game. The failings in New York and an increased willingness to share his unconventional beliefs on life, mental and physical health practices, politics and beyond may have diminished Rodgers’ image in the eyes of some. But his ticket to Canton is already punched. He doesn’t need anything else from football, although he would love to hoist another Lombardi Trophy.
The Steelers, however, need something from Rodgers. Stuck in football purgatory without a playoff win in eight seasons, Tomlin and company hope Rodgers still has enough magic left to help them get over this hump and reach their first AFC Championship Game since 2016 and their first Super Bowl since 2010.
For now, nothing but feel-good vibes surround the legendary quarterback and franchise. But whether either party has enough to offer the other to make their lofty goals a reality remains a great mystery.
As far as strong foundations go, Rodgers believes he and the Steelers are well on their way thanks to the training camp experience.
“Mike (Tomlin) talks about it being things that you can’t measure,” the quarterback told reporters when asked about what — other than actual on-field work — he had gotten out of training camp. “You know, the connections that happened here. Yesterday, we had a home run derby, and I was out in the hot sun just shagging shortstop for the most part, ragging on (long snapper) Christian Kuntz for making a bunch of errors at the hot corner.
“But it’s just those moments that you love. And as much as I look forward to my bed and not have to worry about bed bugs at times, I’ll miss this experience, just because it’s really special to make this walk down the hill (from the dorms to the practice fields) every day and see the fans and the crowd, even when it’s a hot day like today, is pretty special. And, you know, have the times in the cafeteria with the guys. … And then, you know, the night times over in the dorms where you’re talking football, talking life, playing cards, whatever it is, playing video games. I forgot how to play video games, but I had to remember just to connect with those guys. I’ll definitely miss that.”
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Rodgers was intentional about bonding with his new teammates. After leveraging the Jets into signing several of his former Packers teammates, he stayed out of Steelers general manager Omar Khan’s and Tomlin’s way. With no familiar faces, the quarterback simply learned all of the new ones. Each meal, he sits next to a different teammate regardless of position or side of the ball. He floats along the rear of the stretching lines and sits toward the back of the room in team meetings to connect with players generally lower in the pecking order.
Rodgers took some players aback by his just-one-of-the-guys approach. Many of them grew up watching him and had admired him from afar, but really didn’t know what to make of him until he arrived for the final offseason practices and began immersing himself in their ranks in Latrobe.
“I think he gets misinterpreted a lot because people judge a book by its cover and don’t really know him,” explained quarterback Skylar Thompson, who is battling for a roster spot. “I’m not claiming that I really know him, but just being around him on a daily basis, he’s a good dude, cares about his teammates, holds people accountable. There’s a real desire for greatness that he expects all the time, and that’s been a great perspective for me. … He comes out here every day with a smile on his face. Whatever music is playing, you see him singing sometimes. Sometimes, you see him playing the air guitar. You can just tell he’s in his safe place. He’s just himself every single day. When we’re off the field, he loves being around the guys. He’s not too big for anyone. That’s really cool because not everybody’s like that, and he wants to be like everybody else. Just a really good dude.”
Aaron Rodgers has fit in well in Pittsburgh with his just-one-of-the-guys approach. (Barry Reeger / Imagn Images)
Rodgers’ ability to build fast relationships has enabled him to effectively get his message across on the field and in meetings. There’s a sense of urgency with which Rodgers approaches preparation, whether in the classroom or in practice, and he expects those around him to follow suit, teammates and coaches have observed.
“One thing that’s been really cool for learning and perspective, for me, is just seeing how he handles those situations where times are harder,” Thompson said. “Maybe we don’t have the best practice, you see with him the right way to call people out, hold them accountable on what he expects and how he demands greatness.”
Tomlin said Rodgers has “a willingness to articulate the game and teach others; a patience for young people. His willingness to turn over the stones for clarity. … Tireless communication about football and what we’re aspiring to get done. I think it’s indicative of someone with his resume. You don’t have the type of resume and experience he has had in this game without a unique approach, unique relationship or unique process in terms of readiness.”
On-field chemistry remains a work in progress. Even before his signing, Rodgers and top wide receiver DK Metcalf began working to develop a connection. Rodgers’ trust in Metcalf already manifests itself in the way the quarterback looks for his top target in crucial scenarios. But Pittsburgh’s offense has yet to achieve top form. The defensive line has repeatedly gotten the best of the offensive line. Always hard to gauge in practices because of limited full-contact sessions, the run game has yet to consistently display explosiveness. Injury has slowed top tight end acquisition Jonnu Smith’s implementation into the system. It’s unlikely the Steelers see their entire starting offense on the field in a preseason game. However, during last week’s joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the unit showed both flashes of promise and frustrating shortcomings.
Players drew encouragement from effectiveness at the goal line, where Rodgers and company scored on Tampa’s first unit on two of three attempts. But Metcalf and tight end Pat Freiermuth lamented the fact that in a game-ending, two-minute drill scenario, the offense didn’t earn a first down. Metcalf blamed himself for a drop and then said he could have run a route more effectively to prevent an interception on fourth down and time running out.
But Rodgers says he is playing better as of late than he did at the start of training camp. He declared that he feels comfortable in Arthur Smith’s offense, and that although still imperfect, he insists his timing and rhythm with Metcalf and the Steelers’ cast of battling secondary receivers is improving.
Execution — both by quarterback and supporting cast — will determine just how long the feel-good vibes will last, because it will take much more than feelings to get this team over the hump.
Remember, everyone felt great about the career revival Russell Wilson appeared to be orchestrating while winning his first four starts in Pittsburgh and six of his first seven. Then came the late-season fizzle that saw his effectiveness wane as the Steelers lost their last four regular-season games and the playoff opener at Baltimore while never scoring more than 17 points in any of those outings.
Can Rodgers deliver where Wilson could not? More accurate as a pocket passer and more masterful at manipulating defenses, he should at least make Pittsburgh more efficient. More prolific? That could prove challenging given the lingering questions about the quality of the offensive line and depth of the wide receiver unit.
For now, though, Rodgers represents a symbol of hope for the Steelers. For the quarterback, the organization represents the same.
(Top photo: Joe Sargent / Getty Images)