Steelers' Mike Tomlin Revealed A Secret About His Pursuit Of Aaron Rodgers: 'I Knew'

The Pittsburgh Steelers had an extremely eventful offseason in 2025. A ton of additions were made to the roster as well as a lot of turnover. Key pieces of the offense and defense have left the organization, and the entire quarterback room has been changed outside of the coaching. The Steelers found themselves in the headlines constantly as the franchise attempted to sign four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers for months, but a deal did not get done until the Steelers were about to start Mandatory Minicamp. 

Rodgers spent the last two seasons with the New York Jets, and while he was under contract for the 2025 season it was known there wasn't a very likely chance that he would be back in New York. He was ultimately released as the new regime began to run the operation. He seemed to be contemplating retirement, but the Steelers and some other teams were also interested in the veteran quarterback. He was dealing with some things in his personal life which led to his decision being delayed, but he ultimately chose Pittsburgh.

Head Coach Mike Tomlin joined his former player Ryan Clark on The Pivot on Sunday, and Clark spoke about how he was upset the Steelers didn't take a quarterback with the 21st overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Clark brought this up, and he insinuated that Tomlin had to already know that Rodgers was signing.

"You're right." Tomlin said. "I knew something."

This shouldn't come as much of a surprise. The Steelers needed a quarterback, and the when the organization waited until the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft it became a little clear that Rodgers would end up being the quarterback for the 2025 season. The quarterback had already went through some workouts with DK Metcalf, and he had visited the team's facilities earlier in the offseason.

Pittsburgh had the choice of either Jaxson Dart and Shedeur Sanders with the 21st overall pick, but the organization decided to select Derrick Harmon instead. The choice seems to be working out so far as the rookie has impressed during training camp, but Dart also looked good in his first preseason action. It could be a situation where years from now the Steelers look back and are haunted by the decision not to pick Dart, but things seem to be going well with the current quarterback in Pittsburgh.

Rodgers' two seasons with the Jets did not go according to plan. He had suffered a serious Achilles injury at the start of the 2023 season, and it took him a while to shake the rust off in 2024. It was a failed experiment for the Jets, but things are expected to go differently in Pittsburgh. He seems to be embracing his role with the Steelers and having fun while getting to know the guys on the team, which hopefully leads to some success in 2025.

Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Has Been Supporting His Teammates In Pittsburgh

Rodgers has had nothing but good things to say since signing with the Steelers. He seems to be taking on a leadership role within the offense, which was clear from how he spoke about Roman Wilson with the media. The quarterback spoke about how talented the young wide receiver is, but also stated that he wants him to get out of his own head. This is the opposite of the way Rodgers has approached some situations with his wide receivers in the past, which should dismiss any worries fans might have about how Rodgers will act in 2025.

The veteran quarterback is looking to end his career on a high note with the Steelers, although he has not ruled out returning to play football during the 2026 season.