Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington peeled back the curtain on what it’s like to play with four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers.
“It was cool. But you’ve got to be on the same page. Just playing with him and just his ball knowledge of pressures and checks, it’s 1,000 things he could check to, so you’ve got to make sure you’re paying attention, for one, and just being on the same page,” Washington said on Cam Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast. “He for sure is gonna quiz you, too, though, and he does hold his own meeting throughout the week.”
Washington further explained that you have be on top of things with Rodgers.
“We will go over signals, and no coaches in there… just us. You’ve got to make sure that you’re on top of your stuff and your game and just knowing everything that he knows,” he said. “Because at some point of the season, it will be used. Pretty much staying on the same page with him.”
Rodgers is known to be very particular in what he expects from his receivers. He’s a self-described perfectionist.
Recently retired former Steelers wide receiver Adam Thielen revealed similar sentiments as Washington when describing his experience with Rodgers.
“These guys are great and separate themselves because of their process. He treated every single practice like it it was a Super Bowl,” Thielen said. “And I mean that.
“It was unbelievable to see firsthand just how hard he practiced, what it meant to him, how much communication there was through the week of trying to get everybody on the same page, whether that be coaches or players.”
Rodgers is heading into his second season with the Steelers and 22nd overall in the NFL. Rodgers is not as mobile as he used to be, but the 42-year-old can still the sling the ball with the best of them.
On the final play of the final team period for the first-team offense at minicamp, Rodgers ended a two-minute drill with a monster big play, dropping back to heave a 70-yard deep ball over the entire Steelers defense, and into the arms of a streaking Roman Wilson.
“It’s just a beautiful ball,” Wilson said afterward to Steelers Now. “HE puts a lot of air under it. It’s different (to explain) because I’m not really watching it, I’m tracking it, so I just appreciate his placement of where he puts it.”
Washington, who was running an underneath route on the play, had a perfect view as Rodgers dropped a bomb of the gold-clad defense.
“He’s still got it,” Washington said. “He ain’t lose a step yet. Just to see the arm talent — still there. Roman just opened up the deep ball, running down field like that. It for sure was crazy, just to see it.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Darnell Washington Details Experience with Aaron Rodgers: ‘Got to Be on the Same Page’
