Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers isn't just going throw the motions in his first season in the Steel City.
Rodgers has fully bought in since signing in June and has even taken the time to impart his knowledge on quarterbacks Mason Rudolph and Will Howard, but it doesn't stop there.
According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, Rodgers has been doing his best to teach what he knows to the entire offense in practice and "has added a new level of accountability" in Pittsburgh.
"Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has added a level of accountability on the practice field and in the facility, according to sources around the team," Howe reported. "The offense appears to still be working through some things, as there’s been a lot of turnover at key positions, but Rodgers has been intentional about teaching as much as possible after each play.
"Don’t be shocked if it’s bumpy out of the gate," Howe added. However, it’s fair to be cautiously optimistic that Rodgers, wideout DK Metcalf and company will eventually find their rhythm."
Speaking of being intentional, Rodgers touched on that approach recently.
"I'm trying to be intentional every day I'm here," he said before preseason Week 3. "I'm trying to get [center] Zach [Frazier] to loosen up a little bit. [Guard] Mason's [McCormick] been a great compadre with that because he's next to him every single day. It's fun when I get a little laugh out of [guard] Isaac [Seumalo], and maybe a facial expression from [tackle] Troy [Fautanu]. [Tackle] Broderick [Jones] is probably the most gregarious of the group up front. I got a laugh out of [tight end] Darnell [Washington] today, which was fun. Big win. Small victories every day when it comes to the chemistry building stuff.
"... That's what it's all about, finding ways to connect with those guys. I have kind of a built-in laugh track because I'm the old guy and I can recycle some old jokes from years past that they haven't heard before," Rodgers added. "Just trying to connect with the guys every single day."
On top of improved quarterback play, this is exactly the kind of thing the Steelers hoped Rodgers would bring to the table with his wealth of experience in the NFL.
Rodgers' impact has even been felt on the other side of the ball, Steelers safety DeShon Elliott admitted.
"I'm excited to see what he does for us," Elliott said of Rodgers on Not Just Football with Cam Heyward. "I've never seen somebody manipulate a defense the way he manipulates a defense. The look-offs, the ball placement, the cadence. He's different. He's making us better. I know for a fact we're gonna be a better defense because of him."
When it comes to the Steelers getting off to a slow start in 2025, we would not be surprised is that happens. After all, Rodgers is in a new offense and the unit didn't get any preseason snaps together with him at the helm.
Luckily for the Steelers, they have a defense capable of carrying the load if Rodgers and Co. indeed get out of the gate slow.