PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin addressed the two big topics after day one of team mini-camp—TJ Watt skipping and Aaron Rodgers starting.
TJ absent
The 2021 Defensive Player of the Year is looking for a contract extension as his expires at the end of the 2025 season. Watt didn’t attend voluntary workouts and now is not attending the mandatory minicamp on the South Side.
“Certainly we'd like him to be here, but certainly not surprised by where we are,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “We've expressed the desire to get the business done, he has as well, and so we'll continue to work. We've been here before.”
Tomlin said he will keep any conversations with him private. Asked if there is a concern about his future with the team?
“No.”
Resume Rodgers
He’s one of the most decorated quarterbacks of all time in terms of major statistical categories, beat Tomlin and the Steelers in the Super Bowl. Why did the Steelers want Rodgers to be their quarterback?
“I mean, read his resume,” Tomlin said. “We're excited about him being here. He's excited about being here, but we'll make no bold predictions. We're just gonna roll our sleeves up and go to work and let our efforts do the talking.”
Rodgers signed just a couple of days ago, but the Steelers head coach has no fear that over the course of the summer he will learn what he needs to be ready to be the starting quarterback.
“I'll be really straightforward with you, June reps are a heck of a lot more important for a guy like Will Howard at this stage in his career than a guy who's been doing it for 20 years,” Tomlin said. “And so whatever snaps he gets, you take away from a guy like Will Howard, and we're trying to get this collective ready for training camp.”
And no, unlike recent years, there will be no quarterback competition.