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Aaron Rodgers raves about Mike Tomlin

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Jul 30, 2025 5:17 PM ET

Aaron Rodgers has had issues with some of his coaches in the past, but that does not appear to be the case with Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.

In an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” Wednesday, Rodgers raved about his experience with Tomlin so far. The quarterback likened Tomlin to a friend more than a coach, and praised his leadership abilities.

“Mike T is the man,” Rodgers said. “From day one that we talked on the phone in the offseason, I was never talking to a head coach. I was talking to a friend. I respected the hell out of that. I have crazy respect for him, the way that he leads the room, the way that he talks in the team meetings, the way he is at practice. The surprise has been what a great dude he is, what a great leader he is, on top of what I already expected, which was already high based on what I thought from afar. Being able to see it in person is incredible.”

"Mike Tomlin is the man..

From day one that we talked on the phone in the offseason I knew that I was talking to a friend..

He's such a great leader and I have so much respect for him" ~ @AaronRodgers12 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/lrEYQhxaZv
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 30, 2025

From Mike McCarthy in Green Bay to Robert Saleh in New York, Rodgers has always faced rumors of discord with head coaches. He usually denies them, as he did with Saleh, but his praise for Tomlin is much more lavish and genuine than anything he said about those previous coaches.

The warm feelings between Rodgers and Tomlin appear to be mutual. Tomlin is counting on Rodgers to help end the Steelers’ six-game playoff losing streak, while Rodgers wants to go out on a better note than he did with the Jets. Both of them have ample reason to want to make this pairing work.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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