Aaron Rodgers' arrival in the Steel City represents the end of a long and sordid saga between player and team. The former Packers and Jets hurler brought his offseason sweepstakes to a close, agreeing to a one-year deal with the Steelers.
Rodgers is a California kid through and through. His football career has seen him rock some of the sport's most iconic stripes in NFL history. Now, he'll wear another.
When Rodgers dons the black-and-yellow in Pittsburgh, he'll be greeted by a host of unfamiliar faces. But one figure has stood steadfast on the sidelines across Rodgers' professional tenure — Mike Tomlin.
Rodgers and Tomlin have met in the bright lights before. Soon, they'll do so again, albeit in far more different circumstances.
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With that, here's what you need to know about Rodgers and Tomlin's most notable meet-up, Super Bowl 45.
Revisiting Super Bowl 45
Rodgers was electric in the Packers' Super Bowl triumph over the Steelers, garnering MVP honors after tallying 304 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
The match dripped with intrigue. Both franchises' trophy-laden history preceded them — Green Bay entered the game with more NFL titles than any other franchise (12), while Pittsburgh claimed the most Super Bowls (6).
The Packers started the contest with a flourish, swiftly surging to a 21-3 lead. Rodgers hadn't yet reached his MVP pinnacle, but he was close, placing fifth in Offensive Player of the Year voting during the regular season. He showcased why atop the verdant AT&T Stadium pasture, finding Jordy Nelson and Greg Jennings for lengthy touchdown throws in the first half.
.@AaronRodgers12: Super Bowl XLV MVP. 🏆
— NFL (@NFL) April 10, 2020
Rewatch the @packers' fourth Super Bowl victory TONIGHT at 7pm ET on @FS1. pic.twitter.com/0RgzxVbC8y
Wow... Shoutout to @GregJennings for taking a SHOT from Troy Polamalu and still holding on for the @packers TD 👏
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) April 5, 2020
Rewatch Super Bowl XLV, airing NOW on FOX! pic.twitter.com/1Z66fWHUVk
Tomlin's bunch stormed back across the ensuing three quarters, cutting Green Bay's advantage to just three after Ben Roethlisberger connected with Mike Wallace for a 25-yard score with 7:34 left in the fourth.
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Facing third-and-10 from the Packers' 25 with 5:58 left, Rodgers dropped back and delivered an inch-perfect 31-yard toss to Jennings.
With 31 days left until the start of the NFL season, let's look at this absolute laser from Aaron Rodgers to Greg Jennings to pick up a 31 yards and shift momentum during Super Bowl XLV. pic.twitter.com/q0aGJXHCNa
— r/GreenBayPackers (@redditPackers) August 9, 2021
Green Bay burned an additional four minutes off the clock before tacking three points onto its advantage courtesy of a Mason Crosby chip shot.
The Packers' defense held firm on the ensuing possession, securing the title after forcing Roethlisberger into an errant throw on fourth down.
The title represents the first — and to date, only — Super Bowl crown Rodgers has won in his glistening career. Neither he nor Tomlin have been back to football's promised land since. Steelers fans will be hoping their union — or perhaps, reunion — will bring those streaks to a close.
Aaron Rodgers stats vs. Steelers in Super Bowl 45
- Comp.: 24-of-39 (61.5%)
- Pass yards: 304
- Pass TD: 3
- INT: 0