PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – You may think the Steelers players had inside information about Aaron Rodgers returning, but that’s not what they said Monday during the first day of Organized Team Activities on the Southside.
“I found out on Instagram,” said Steelers tackle Troy Fautanu. “I opened my app and seen Pat McAfee had posted it and I was like, here we go. I mean, yeah, (we) kind of all (found out) at the same time.”
So, the Steelers starting lineman didn’t know, but surely new starting receiver and fellow Californian Michael Pittman knew?
“Partially, partially not,” Pittman said with Pittsburgh reporters on Monday. “I mean, I had the hope that he was coming back and I had a good feeling about it, but you never know.”
“I mean Aaron's gonna do what Aaron wants to do, right?”
“But I'm definitely happy to have him back for sure.”
Linebacker Payton Wilson was surprised.
“A little bit, yeah,” Wilson said. “I was honestly, you know, I saw him this morning. I was walking in and he was coming out, and it was good to see him. I was a little shocked.”
Rodgers signed nearly a month earlier than last year, although the wait didn’t seem any less for fans, or apparently for players who were as much, or nearly as much, in the dark about it as everyone was.
“It's awesome to have him back,” said linebacker Alex Highsmith. “He's a mysterious guy. So having him back is awesome, seeing him on the field today. It was great. He was out there, obviously getting a lot of work with the guys and whatnot. So we're really excited to have them back, leading our group.”
Highsmith said he wasn’t surprised only because he had seen some of the pictures on social media, and even noted he was not invited to get ice cream with the group. He guesses it was just an offensive player thing.
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Pittman threw with him once in California before Rodgers decided on his future. This was the first time in a team setting.
“I mean, even in the first day, he made a couple of great throws, and I was like, wow, I'm really playing with Aaron,” Pittman said.
He said it’s the second Hall of Fame quarterback he will have played with, mentioning Philip Rivers with the Colts. Pittman is working to gain Rodgers trust and says it’s not hard to figure out what he’s thinking. He said one of the keys is not only the time together, but just listening to one of the best to do it.
“This is the first day so we have now up until our first game so we are going to get as many reps as possible,” Pittman said.
“It can only be good,” said Steelers veteran Chris Boswell. “Having a guy like that in the building can only help you. I don't think it'll ever hurt you. And you know, for him to come back early right now and be around the guys, honestly, with one of his previous coaches. I mean it's only positive for sure.”
