Steelers teammate on Aaron Rodgers' reputation: 'All that stuff is fake'

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers developed a reputation for being a "distraction" and "self-centered" during his final years with the Green Bay Packers and his two-season stint with the New York Jets. 

During a Wednesday appearance on ESPN Radio, Steelers linebacker Payton Wilson insisted outsiders have the wrong idea about what Rodgers is and isn't in the locker room and behind the scenes. 

Fans don't know the real Aaron Rodgers

"He has been great since the day he got here," Wilson said about Rodgers, per Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot. "Obviously, when he got here, you see stuff in the media. You don't know the guy. But the second that you meet him, you realize all that stuff is fake. He's a great leader. He is a great guy."

Rodgers and Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson reportedly "never saw eye-to-eye" last season. Additionally, Rodgers' relationship with longtime teammate Davante Adams allegedly "frustrated people" within the Jets throughout the second half of the 2024 campaign. 

However, the 41-year-old signal-caller seemingly has "pleasantly surprised" Pittsburgh players and coaches from the start of mandatory minicamp in June through the club's 34-32 win at the Jets this past Sunday. In total, Rodgers completed 22-of-30 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns in Pittsburgh's victory over his former team. 

Pro Football Reference stats show that no player accumulated more touchdown passes than Rodgers in Week 1. He also ended the opening week of the campaign ranked second in the league with a 136.7 passer rating. 

How Aaron Rodgers made the Pittsburgh defense better

Earlier this week, Steelers receiver Calvin Austin III noted that Rodgers' efforts throughout the summer helped get the Pittsburgh offense ready to face an impressive Jets defense. According to Wilson, practicing against Rodgers throughout training camp made Pittsburgh's defense a better unit. 

"It was really cool to go against him all camp," Wilson added. "It was obviously really hard. It definitely made the defense better, and he's just been a great leader in the building. He's been great on and off the field, so it's been great having him around and to be able to compete against him."

Time will tell if Rodgers will remain such a popular figure among his teammates once the Steelers start experiencing the type of setbacks teams encounter each season. For now, he'll look to notch a second straight win when Pittsburgh hosts the 0-1 Seattle Seahawks this coming Sunday.