It is hard to determine whether Pittsburgh Steelers fans should be excited or wary of Aaron Rodgers being their starting quarterback this season.
The four-time MVP and Super Bowl winner with the Green Bay Packers has had a stellar career, but his two-year spell with the New York Jets is enough for fans to be skeptical.
Interestingly, Rodgers will make his Steelers debut against the Jets. There has never been a better time for the veteran quarterback to silence his critics.
Aaron Rodgers’ very first pass of Steelers training camp is…an interception
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) July 24, 2025
: @SteelersWRobbie
pic.twitter.com/MXzpKCx9Id
Since joining the Pittsburgh Steelers, he has settled seamlessly into training camp, aside from his first throw, which was intercepted by Patrick Queen.
Aaron Rodgers has been taunting Queen ever since by doing one thing in training inspired by Brett Favre, which the former Baltimore Ravens linebacker has started to get ‘p—-ed’ off about.
Queen’s interception of Rodgers’ first pass has become a running joke in the camp, and Queen believes that it was definitely not thrown on purpose, despite what Rodgers joked about previously.
The pair have a good relationship, started off by Rodgers approaching Queen and talking about sharks, but there is one thing that frustrates him about his quarterback.
Rodgers’ Brett-Favre-inspired no-look passes, which he picked up at the Packers when on the scout team, clearly annoy Queen a lot.
Speaking on Cam Heyward‘s Not Just Football podcast, he said, “High IQ guy. The no-looks are starting to p— me off a little bit. But he’s just smart.
“He’s calling out our plays. He’s talking about our plays as he’s doing the play calls for the O-line, for the receivers. It’s just a whole bunch of stuff that goes on.
“But you definitely get a good look, like he’s gonna he’s gonna test your drops. He’s gonna test your man coverage just like I said, the guy has been doing this for a long time.
“You may never go against that when you go against somebody else that has as high an IQ or as much experience as him, I think it’s gonna pay off for it.”
Aaron Rodgers was a core part of one of the most ‘un-Steelers’ offseasons that they’ve had in a long time. Mike Tomlin trusts that the veteran quarterback, entering his 21st season in the NFL, can do the job to his previous MVP efficiency.
However, at one point, safety DeShon Elliott labeled Rodgers as old and that he didn’t want him. He was given a chance to correct his statement on the podcast, and that is exactly what he did.
Elliott added: Yeah, I did. Anyone who knows me. I usually speak my mind very openly. Often enough, I’m not wrong. This time I was wrong. Being real.
“Look, I always say things that people know are right, probably just shouldn’t be said. But he’s proven me wrong fully.
“Great person. Great football player. Everyone knows he’s a great football player. He’s a Hall of Fame player. He’s made it easy for everybody to welcome him with open arms.
Aaron Rodgers casually throwing 70 yard dots#They told me he couldn’t do this btw pic.twitter.com/Oq8aHsV0g2
— Rico (@SteelersTrollMe) August 21, 2025
“When he walked to the building, he instantly had that, we had that meeting, and he was like, ‘Hey, bro, I understand I was probably a distraction at the time, but I’m here. I’m walking with you guys’.
“So I appreciate him for doing that. And I guess, he’s very himself. And I appreciate somebody who’s always gonna be himself.
“I respect him as a man. We talk all the time. I’m excited to see what he does for us, bro. I’ve never seen somebody manipulate a defense the way he manipulates a defense.
“Like, the look-offs, the ball placement, the cadence. He’s different. He’s making us better. I know for a fact we’re gonna be a better defense because of him.”
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