PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Even some of the players weren’t sure what to expect when Aaron Rodgers finally arrived after all of the offseason speculation. A man of many interests, Rodgers persona hasn’t been one that alienated a team, like some feared, rather provided leadership.
To watch him interact with his teammates, you would think they’ve had seasons of time together, not a couple of months. Head coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday this is what he expected.
“I just know too many people that have worked with him in other locations,” Tomlin said at his weekly news conference. “I knew how his teammates felt about him in other places. Not shocked by that at all.”
Rodgers seems to have learned the names of a majority of not only his teammates, but trainers, equipment staff, the strength and conditioning team, front office employees. It’s remarkable how comfortable he is in his own skin and his ability to poke fun at anyone, yet most importantly, to be able to take it as well.
What Tomlin is now seeing is how other teammates are profiting from his example and experience.
“I've been in this thing long enough you don't stumble into 20-plus years of service in this business,” Tomlin said. “There's unique habits, unique relationships with the game of football. I anticipated that. It still doesn't make it less impressive, his day to day, what he's willing to do.”
“He's been in the building all day today. He loves it. It's who he is. He loves the process. He loves to talk ball. He loves to educate his teammates to get on the
same page. He doesn't tire in terms of seeking resolution to issues. There's a lot of good things about him other than obviously his physical talents and skills that have been really impressive. Again, as I mentioned, not that I'm shocked by it, but it's still highly appreciated.”
Tomlin believes that comfort level off the field has helped him, along most importantly with six games of experience, to know his teammates. That is allowing his timing to be better, along with what Tomlin called the spacing and strategic component of where people are.
That is showing itself not just in his completion percentage, but his scrambling in the pocket as it appears the 41-year-old is getting faster as the season is progressing.
“From my perspective, the more it shows up, it just indicates comfort to me,” Tomlin said.
Rodgers is tied with Patrick Mahomes for the AFC lead in touchdown passes, even though he’s played one fewer game. Among those who played last week, Rodgers is third in the AFC in quarterback rating ahead of Josh Allen, Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, Justin Herbert and more in 2025.
“Aaron has been at it a long time,” Tomlin said. “He's got an awesome relationship with this game. I haven’t been with him for a long time, but he's
been fired up every single week. I imagine it's going to be the same. I imagine some external things are going to make more out of it than it is for him. He's playing and playing to win. That's what he does.”