Latrobe, Pennsylvania – Aaron Rodgers has a well -documented suspicious sequence, and at some point last spring – during one of the many conversations exploring a potential partnership – the four time MVP wondered how Mike Tomlin’s recall could be so precise.
Does he take notes? Rodgers wondered.
Without learning the answer, the besieged quarter-rear did not offend itself.
“I was (very) honest with him on what was going on in my personal life,” recalls Rodgers on Wednesday. “That he wrote it, I do not give like -. The fact that he would remember the important things that happened in my life was really significant for me.
“It was as if I were talking to a friend, not a coach. Because he did not speak of X and O; It was: “How is this person?” How is this person? And it really meant a lot for me, and it was at the forefront of my mind when I made this decision to play. »»
The Bond Rodgers formed with Tomlin, the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, was the engine of his return for a 21st season. The future temple of the renown of the first probable banker underlined this point earlier this week during a conversation with AthleticsExpressing his enthusiasm about the experience of the training camp with a third franchise from the NFL after a two -year tumultuous passage with his second.
After being released by the New York Jets in March, Rodgers, 41, explored the possibility of playing for the Steelers, the New York Giants or the Vikings of Minnesota while reflecting on retirement. His deliberations coincided with a period during which several people in his inner circle were struck by cancer, delaying and complicating the process.
In the end, he was influenced by the patience, empathy and listening (and / or notation) of Tomlin, signing an agreement less than one year with the Steelers in June.
“We had no friendship from the first day, but there was a level of respect which was definitely mutual that I felt from the first conversation,” said Rodgers. “He talked about it the other day (during a meeting): listening is a skill. I twisted a lot in my personal life. I didn’t need to be recruited, but I appreciated the way he told me about, and the respect he had for me who came out every time we spoke. And I think it is a large part of all this.”
Respect was mutual. After having separated from his two best quarters of 2024, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, Tomlin – who has never had a losing season but who comes out of his sixth consecutive defeat in the playoffs – thought that Rodgers was always able to help Pittsburgh.
“I do not see any deterioration in his skills or talents, his ability to launch football, his passion or his relationship with the game,” said Tomlin. “He was really consistent in his messages, going back to spring. His agenda is and won, and it is music to my ears. The love story he has with his game is just as attractive to me as his statistics or his CV.”
The lonely victory of the Rodgers Super Bowl took place at the expense of Tomlin’s Steelers 14 years ago – the quarter -Arrière de Green Bay Packers won the MVP honors of the Super Bowl XLV – and the two men enjoy the competitive fire for the other for a long time. On Wednesday, Rodgers recalled a fun interaction of a match in 2021 between the packers and the Field lambeau steelers: while Pittsburgh replaced many defenders between the games, Rodgers tried to shoot one of his signature movements by calling for a quick moment while there were more than 11 steelers on the field.
“He immediately called out time,” said Rodgers. “And I looked – with anger – but also smiling because he was intelligent enough to do it, because we have done so for so long. And he just smiled and hosted his head, like “nice try, old man”. I loved this moment, and it stuck to me.
Mike Tomlin, on the left, and Aaron Rodgers have long had a mutual appreciation. (Matt Freed / Associated Press)
After a bright and dysfunctional interlude to injury with jets, Rodgers is delighted to cap his career with an organization which he considers one of the most stable in sport.
“This place reminds me of Green Bay,” he said. “And I say that with the greatest respect, because there are a few Cornerstone franchises in the League, and we all know who are. And there is a reason why they had excellence over the years. Obviously, they won six Super Bowls here and Green Bay won 13 world championships.
“I have the impression that because there is such a story of excellence that there is almost an underlying and tacit way of carrying you. Some owners, nowadays, are quick to press the trigger to make a change. But when you have good culture, and it is obvious to know what to do, the only thing that never changes, and should not be the person at the top, leading to the front. ”
Tomlin was not that patient. As he waited for Rodgers to sign, the coach began to plot an offensive attack in juice designed to maximize the talent of the quarter’s arm. The Steelers were unusually aggressive during the offseason, from March, when they sent a second round choice to Seattle Seahawks for the double receiver of the Pro Bowl DK Metcalf, then signed it for an extension of $ 150 million over five years.
Rodgers and Metcalf, who are dormitory partners in the training camp, have formed an instant connection, starting with a private launch session in Los Angeles of the months before the signing of the quarter-arre with Pittsburgh.
“He saw how brain I was about the match and saw how hard I worked,” said Metcalf. “And I think it gave him an additional boost to come.”
The first Aaron Rodgers-to-DK Metcalf Purchasement of Training Camp pic.twitter.com/e60ulzhigp
– Mike Defabo (@Mikedefabo) July 24, 2025
At the end of June, the Steelers acquired the Pro Bowl, Jonnu Smith, as part of a successful trade with the Dolphins of Miami.
“You are not dealing with Aaron Rodgers without equipping it with the talent that highlights his skills,” said Tomlin.
For its part, Rodgers made the Steelers a solid by concluding a good deals rate agreement (one year, $ 13.65 million) which has helped to release the wage capitalization space. The NFL career leader in the notation of passers-by could almost certainly have ordered a larger salary, but Rodgers, who married during the offseason, said that he had respected the advice of one of his new parents-in-law.
“I took orders from my (new) sister-in-law, Mia,” said Rodgers smiling. “She is 20 years old and she is the brain of the family; Just ask him. “
He laughed, then continued: “No – but it is partially serious for sure. Each team to whom I spoke, I said, “Listen, if I play, I’m not going to take a ton of money. I made a ton of money. I don’t need money. »»
What Rodgers aspires the most is a fulfilling final act – in partnership with a established coach that he deeply admires. Health will play a major factor. After having undergone an Achilles tendon torn apart by the end of the season on the fourth offensive game of the 2023 jets, Rodgers had its share of challenges linked to injuries last season, fighting through the problems of knee, ankle and hamstrings to start the 17 games. He launched 11 interceptions, tied to the third total of his career, and the jets fought during a 5-12 campaign.
This has deepened the perception that the best days of Rodgers are behind him, lowering external expectations for a team of Steelers which leaves a regular season of 10-7 and the defeat of the 28-14 qualifying series against the Baltimore ravens. The quarter is noted the challenge.
“There are a lot of people who talk about other teams, and at this point, it’s very good,” said Rodgers. “I mean, some of the teams we have had that have been great over the years in Green Bay were sometimes reflections. But, you know, I think the way we are built, we are fortunate to be one of these teams in the mixture when we arrive in December, when the weather changes and you have to win cold matches in time. And I did it over the years.
“Many guys are strong of battle and have gone through difficult things. And with the leadership we have – and with Mike T. – I like our chances.”
(Top Photo: Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press)
