Steelers Now
In an interview with Kevin Clark of ESPN at St. Vincent College, Mike Tomlin revealed what he’s learned from four-time NFL MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers so far.
“He has an absolute love affair with the game of football. There is just no component of the game or the process in the time I’ve been around him that he does not enjoy,” Tomlin said.
Tomlin also recently 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 Kyle Brandt of NFL Network. “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.”
Asked Mike Tomlin the hardest part about playing against Aaron Rodgers. We talked what he's learned so far.
"He has an absolute love affair with the game of football. There is just no component of the game or the process in the time I've been around him that he does not enjoy." pic.twitter.com/jYWanEDbQV
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) July 30, 2025
Brandt also interviewed Rodgers at St. Vincent College this past Saturday. The 41-year-old quarterback explained the process before signing with the Steelers on June 5.
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 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.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Mike Tomlin Reveals What He’s Learned from Aaron Rodgers
