Rodgers Welcomes Steelers to California

The Pittsburgh Steelers will soon learn that having quarterback Aaron Rodgers under center has its perks. For all the headaches in the forecast, keeping the spotlight on the quarterback has a way of giving others a little more breathing room. Surely, the upgrade in performance (and production) has its benefits, too.

The Steelers are better with Rodgers under center, adding more credibility to the passing offense and creating a sliver of hope for the team’s playoff odds.

Pittsburgh got its first taste of Rodgers on Tuesday, when he spoke to the media at the team’s minicamp proceedings.

Asked about making up for lost time, the quarterback plans to get some reps in between minicamp and the last week of July, when training camp will commence.

Rodgers invited his Steelers teammates to Malibu for offseason workouts and is justifiably confident in their attendance.

“I’ve just got to get them — I got to try and convince them to come out to Malibu, California,” Rodgers told reporters. “It’s gonna be a tough sell, I think. Tough sell.”

It’s no surprise that Rodgers came off as cool and charismatic on Tuesday. It certainly isn’t an accident. But it’s also worth noting how significant the opportunity to play with Rodgers could be to Pittsburgh. For fans and analysts, it’s easy to write off Rodgers as a post-prime passer with more controversies than championships. The Steelers’ Super Bowl chances didn’t get much higher after the signing. But his experience and pedigree matter, especially to his teammates.

Expect a host of Pittsburgh’s pass-catchers to travel to Malibu and practice with their new quarterback.

“I just want to have fun here. I want to enjoy the game. The game has given me a ton. It’s hard to think of anything in my life that’s positive that wasn’t impacted by, directly or indirectly, my playing this game.

“I just want to give back to the game, enjoy it, pass on my knowledge to my teammates, and try to find ways to help lead the team.”