Aaron Rodgers says his choice to return for a twenty first NFL season and to take action in Pittsburgh was not about attempting to show one thing to himself, the New York Jets or anybody else.
Standing in entrance of a sea of cameras for his first press convention as a Steeler, the 41-year-old Rodgers mentioned the coda he’s attempting to creator in Pittsburgh is about one thing deeper than soccer.
“Quite a lot of selections that I’ve revamped my profession and life from strictly the ego, even when they end up effectively, are all the time unfulfilling,” Rodgers mentioned on Tuesday after the primary day of Pittsburgh’s necessary minicamp. “However the selections constituted of the soul are often fairly fulfilling. So this was a call that was finest for my soul.”
And one the Steelers imagine is finest for enterprise, one of many causes they put no strain on Rodgers through the spring as he handled off-the-field points that he has mentioned included having a number of folks in his inside circle battle most cancers.
Rodgers mentioned these points “have improved a bit,” clearing the way for him to join a crew that has bounced from one quarterback to a different since Ben Roethlisberger retired on the finish of the 2021 season.
He added that the Steelers’ long-time head coach Mike Tomlin, who has by no means had a shedding season since taking up the crew in 2007, was a significant factor in his choice to return to soccer. The 2 stayed in touch over the previous couple of months, producing what Rodgers referred to as “a few of the coolest conversations I’ve had within the sport.”
“It begins with Mike Tomlin,” Rodgers mentioned. “I’ve been a fan of his for a very long time. There’s just a few iconic franchises within the NFL. I performed for one in every of ‘em for 18 years. That is one other a kind of. There’s one thing particular about clearly this space. So many nice quarterbacks are from Pittsburgh. I really feel like Pittsburgh has been part of my profession from the start.”
Rodgers, who has labored out with lately acquired DK Metcalf in current months, hopes a few of the Steelers’ talent place gamers can be a part of him at his house in Malibu, California, someday earlier than they report for the crew’s full coaching camp on 23 July.
In the event that they do, they could get an opportunity to satisfy Rodgers’ spouse. Rodgers was noticed carrying what regarded like a marriage band when he signed his Steelers contract. Rodgers confirmed on Tuesday that he was married “a pair months” in the past however declined to get into particulars. Rodgers has revealed little about his spouse. Throughout an look on The Pat McAfee Present final fall, he talked about he was relationship a lady named Brittani however provided no different particulars.
Often, Rodgers isn’t afraid to specific his views about many matters, from vaccines to politics and past. However on Tuesday, he caught to soccer.
“It’s laborious to think about something in my life that’s optimistic that wasn’t impacted by immediately or not directly by taking part in this sport,” he mentioned. “So [I] simply need to give love again to the sport, get pleasure from it, move on my information to my teammates, and try to discover methods to assist lead the crew.”
The Steelers are unlikely to get the model of Rodgers who as soon as minimize a swathe via the NFL in his prime with the Inexperienced Bay Packers, profitable 4 league MVP awards and a Tremendous Bowl alongside the way in which. Rodgers’s tenure along with his final crew, the Jets, was transient and rocky. After a torn achilles ended his 2023 debut after simply 4 snaps, he returned in 2024 to start out all 17 video games. Although he threw for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns, the Jets completed simply 5-12, and Rodgers ranked exterior the highest 25 in most effectivity metrics. The crew sputtered to a 3-7 document in one-score video games.
With out Rodgers, the Steelers would most likely have began Mason Rudolph, who lately rejoined the crew from the Tennessee Titans. Nonetheless, Rudolph was a modest quarterback at finest throughout his first stint with the crew.
Rodgers will face a well-known foe in Week 1 of the upcoming season: Pittsburgh are scheduled to play the Jets of their 2025 opener. They play the Packers in Week 8.
