Steelers Now
During an interview with Kyle Brandt of NFL Network at St. Vincent College, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers explained the process before signing with the Steelers on June 5. Rodgers took nearly three months to sign with Pittsburgh, but he was in constant communication with head coach Mike Tomlin.
Rodgers was dealing with personal issues during the spring, so that delayed his decision, but Tomlin’s genuine care was something that really made an impression on the four-time NFL MVP.
“It was honestly more about what he wasn’t saying,” Rodgers told NFL Network’s Kyle Brandt on Saturday. “At no point during the conversations, which were weekly — at least — did I ever feel like I was talking to a coach who needed something from me. (Like) ‘I need you to give me this, give me that, give me an answer.’ It was like you were talking to an old friend.
“At my age, at my experience, I just really appreciated that. I respected how he talked to me, our conversation, getting to know him and hearing about his schedule and who’s important in his life. And him asking me and remembering important things about my life, too. It really made an impression to me.”
Why he’s still playing.
Why the Steelers.
Responding to critics.
Getting married. And more.My full conversation with Aaron Rodgers… pic.twitter.com/UaX7lW3cgL
— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) July 27, 2025
Tomlin also shed light on what it’s like coaching one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history.
“It’s gotta be more than capabilities. You know, you doing what he’s doing at 41, it’s not because you’re capable, it’s other things,” Tomlin told Brandt. “It’s a burning desire. It’s man versus himself. It’s answering critics. It’s whatever. And so I just wanna get to know him legitimately and, for me, a component of that is understanding the why. I think I can better coach him and get to know him in a real way, and we can both be what this team needs us to be if we pursue it in that manner.”
“’Cause he’s seen it and done it all,” Tomlin added. “Everything’s a re-run. And it’s my job to make sure that he’s engaged, that he’s having fun, that the things that attracted him to the game 20 years ago still resonate with him — that he feels it, in this environment, today.”
MIKE TOMLIN #HereWeGo
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How do you coach Aaron Rodgers?
Never having a losing season
Explaining his all time Tomlin-ismsAnd more. Our whole conversation here. pic.twitter.com/Tz8fnnsrL4
— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) July 27, 2025
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Aaron Rodgers Explains Why He Wanted to Play for Mike Tomlin
