He looked so much at home in that No. 87 Pittsburgh Penguins jersey. OK, so Aaron Rodgers is a fit 6-2, 225 pounds; he probably would appear sharp in a T-shirt that’s three days late to the laundry. But this isn’t about merely being handsome. It’s about being, for now, a fully committed Yinzer.
Rodgers has not yet slipped into the region’s careless dialect, and who knows how he truly feels about a Primanti Bros. Sammich, but his appearance at PPG Paints Arena with several teammates at a recent Penguins game – and his convincing celebration following a first-period Conor Dewar goal – became one more example of his flawless transition to Steelers quarterback.
When Rodgers was a free agent during the spring and the subject of an extended pursuit by coach Mike Tomlin, there were so many skeptical of Rodgers’ commitment to the organization. (This is where I raise my hand). The Steelers are more than a football team to Western Pennsylvania, and the possibility of them being used as a platform for something other than completions, yards, touchdowns and victories led to a general sense of unease.
MORE NFL power rankings after Week 7
However, from the day of his introduction at mini-camp in June, when Rodgers declared, “There’s something special about this area,” he has not put a foot wrong, as they say in soccer. Every move, every statement, every public interaction – however calculated it all might be, however antithetical to the persona he’d conjured for himself during the earlier part of this decade – it all has worked to the benefit of his current football team.
So it’s now highly unlikely Rodgers will exploit the opportunity to oppose for the first time the team that always will define his career, the Green Bay Packers, and make this about him.
MORE: NFL picks, predictions for Week 8's slate
“I don’t have any animosity toward the organization,” Rodgers told Pittsburgh reporters Wednesday. “Obviously, I wished that things had been better in our last year there, but I have a great relationship still with a lot of people in that organization. This is not a revenge game for me.”
Rodgers became the Packers' regular starter in 2008 and led them to the Super Bowl 45 title -- over the Steelers, in fact - in February 2011. He won four MVP trophies in Green Bay, including as recently as 2021.
There are those who complained following the Steelers’ 33-31 loss to the Bengals last Thursday they now stand precisely where they did in 2024 after Justin Fields started the first half-dozen games: a record of 4-2.
This is precariously shallow analysis.
Playing behind a less established offensive line and accompanied by a suddenly struggling defense, and with the same offensive coordinator (Arthur Smith) once derided for strategic conservatism, Rodgers has done nearly everything to assure the best record possible.
The Steelers are 12th in scoring, up from a 16th-place finish in 2024. Through six games, they are at 25 points per game, more than a field goal increase from 21.6 through the first six last season.
The Steelers are fourth in red zone efficiency, turning 72 percent of their trips into touchdowns. Last season, they ranked 29th in this category and twice won games (against Atlanta and Baltimore) without crossing the goal line. Chris Boswell, their extraordinarily reliable kicker, has been called on to attempt 12 field goals and 16 extra points this season; at this time in 2024, he had tried 17 field goals and only 10 extra points.
Rodgers has kept his public attention and appearances focused entirely on the Steelers. It’s true he’s been very obvious with his displeasure at times. Like a middle-aged dad occasionally annoyed by his kids’ antics – soon to turn 42, he’s just about old enough to be some teammates’ father – Amazon Prime cameras caught him scolding running back Jaylen Warren for apparently missing an audible and failing to abandon a planned trick play. Later, he was less than amused when 310-pound lineman Broderick Jones celebrated Rodgers’ 80-yard, fourth-quarter TD pass by pulling him to the turf at Paycor Stadium.
Rodgers later texted Jones to tell him he loved the energy. "But also, I'm 41," Rodgers said. "You can't be out there tackling me."
MORE: Week 8 fantasy rankings for QBs
No longer, though, is Rodgers appearing regularly on Pat McAfee’s ESPN brocast, where he too often made headlines for controversial statements. When McAfee did the show live from the Steelers’ training camp in July, Rodgers was a guest, and and it was then he suggested the 2025 season could be his last. In the months since, his public comments have been restricted to football conversations with Steelers beat writers and local TV crews.
All of this has gone so well to date it was no surprise to hear ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler report the Steelers are interested in having him return for the 2026 season. Whether that comes to fruition will be dependent on his continued health, his continued success, his continued embrace of the Steelers’ ethic.
It’s not his responsibility in the least, but all of that would be enhanced if the team’s defense could begin consistently controlling opponents’ rushing attacks and not allowing their every crossing pattern to become a first down, or more.
If none of that is repaired, and soon, Rodgers may run aht of patience n’at.