Steelers Now
Recently retired former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Adam Thielen peeled back the curtain on what it’s like to play with four-time NFL MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Thielen, who played most of his career in Minnesota, saw firsthand what makes Rodgers different when he joined the Steelers late last season.
“To see him in the building and in practice and his communication and the way that he does things in his detail,” Thielen said of Rodgers during a Monday appearance on Good Morning Football. “It really showed me why he’s been so great for so long.”
Rodgers is known to be very particular in what he expects from his wide receivers. He’s a self-described perfectionist.
“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 last Wednesday, 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.”
Steelers tight end Darnell 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.”
Alan Saunders contributed.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Former Steelers WR Opens Up on Experience with Aaron Rodgers
