Rodgers' Respect Key to Steelers Signing

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed quarterback Aaron Rodgers with the hopes that he could be better than his two-year stint with the New York Jets.

Of course, that was defined by a 2023 Achilles tear that ripped New York away from its dreams of contention and clouded its next season. Rodgers made a full recovery but was relatively ineffective in 2024, burdened by his new physical limitations and the pressure of being a savior.

Rodgers doesn’t need to save Pittsburgh. He just needs to elevate a playoff-ready roster with above-average quarterbacking. By the looks of it, he’s striving to be better both on and off the field.

The Steelers’ veteran quarterback is already learning from the mistakes of his Jets tenure. Among them was the fiasco that came with his trip to Egypt. Rodgers missed the team’s minicamp, creating headlines that only got worse when New York looked out of sync for much of the year.

“The Steelers were patient with Aaron Rodgers as he dealt with his personal matters,” Albert Breer wrote. “And their sense was Rodgers wanted to avoid the noise he created in missing Jets minicamp last year, which colored his decision not to sign until he was ready to show up and go all-in.”

Rodgers made a point of wanting to be “all-in” before putting pen to paper, citing off-field commitments and the chance he would step away for good. By not missing minicamp, he’ll earn back some of the goodwill spent on his delayed decision.

The crux of this decision, though, seems to be respect. Rodgers was public about his admiration for head coach Mike Tomlin. Simply put, signing a high-profile quarterback only to watch him miss minicamp wouldn’t fly on his watch. It’s something Rodgers could pull off when he was in control, which he was in East Rutherford. But that leverage doesn’t exist in Pittsburgh, it’s a fringe playoff team with or without him.

"I've been around a lot of Pittsburgh people over the years, and I have loved my time with all of them," Rodgers said on "The Pat McAfee Show.” "I have learned to speak the language really well... It's a great blue-collar town. It's got a lot of history, that city. Mike Tomlin, been there forever... I have a ton of respect for Mike, I think he's a fantastic coach, I love the way that he leads, I love the way that he talks after games, he also seems to keep things really even-keeled, and it looks like he's somebody that the players love playing for."

Rodgers will have the summer to grow used to his teammates, dissect offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s offense, and put the Steelers in the best position to win. Part of bringing in Rodgers means welcoming in the off-field attention that comes with it. By getting off on the right foot, he’s already doing more for his coaching staff than he did in New York.