Tomlin Welcomes Rodgers to Pittsburgh With Barbecue

Fans might be split on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers off the field. But on it, he’s an upgrade over Mason Rudolph, and his teammates know it.

Rodgers’ peers, understudies, and coaches have expressed excitement about his arrival. He makes them more potent in January (with a better chance of getting there) and adds Hall of Fame pedigree to a quarterback room that badly needs a steady hand.

He’s said all the right things, given the organization a glimpse at practice, and seems to have the respect of his teammates. Just as important as those relationships will be the ones he forges with the coaching staff, namely head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

So far, so good. Tomlin welcomed Rodgers to the Steelers with the help of Archibald’s BBQ, who the coach hired to cater the team-wide event at his home.

“Woodrow Washington, the owner of Archibald’s BBQ and Archibald and Woodrow’s, developed a relationship with coaches for the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Kelvin Reynolds wrote for WBRC. “Washington says Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin hired him to come to Pittsburgh and cook for his assistants for a special event.

“He shared pictures of him and his staff posing for pictures with Tomlin and some Steeler coaches. Quarterback Aaron Rogers, who just signed with the Steelers, also took pictures with the guys from Woodrow’s.”

Both throughout his elongated journey through free agency and after he put pen to paper, Rodgers has been enthusiastic about the opportunity to play under Tomlin. He’s been adamant in how much he respects the head coach.

Tomlin, as one of the most well-respected players’ coaches in the league, has the reputation and the resume to earn the Canton-bound quarterback’s admiration.

“It’s just humbling knowing people think highly of your food and the taste that you bring and ask you come,” Washington told Reynolds. “And I know my grandparents, George and Betty, my mom, Paulette, and George, they workerd their butt off, years and years and years and years. And I know they’re happy to know that we’re stretching out a little further than Northport and Tuscaloosa.”

Flying in barbecue from Alabama wasn’t on our bingo card, but it’s Pittsburgh’s way of rolling out the red carpet. Tomlin and the Steelers hope Rodgers can make good on the excitement he’s generating in 2025.