Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has extensively shared his appreciation for Aaron Rodgers in the past, and vice versa.
“I’m a big Mike Tomlin fan,” Rodgers said in 2021. “I have been for a long time. I like the way he speaks about his team. I like the way that he goes about his business. I like his confidence. I’ve heard nothing but good things from guys that have played there.”
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Tomlin was the driving force in Rodgers landing with the Steelers.
“Steelers never wavered in their belief that Aaron Rodgers eventually would sign with Pittsburgh. Steelers HC Mike Tomlin loomed large in this entire situation. Tomlin was a drawing card for Rodgers, and was happy to work within Rodgers’ timeline. He is a major reason that Rodgers will be a Steeler,” Schefter wrote on X.
Steelers never wavered in their belief that Aaron Rodgers eventually would sign with Pittsburgh. Steelers HC Mike Tomlin loomed large in this entire situation. Tomlin was a drawing card for Rodgers, and was happy to work within Rodgers’ timeline. He is a major reason that Rodgers… pic.twitter.com/O2hzqdgfuU
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 5, 2025
Rodgers said in February during an interview with TMZ that he was looking for two things in his next team.
“They want you,” Rodgers said. “And they have a good team.”
Rodgers will have a top-tier wide receiver to throw to in DK Metcalf. The Steelers made a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks for Metcalf in March. An arsenal of Metcalf, Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, Robert Woods and tight end Pat Freiermuth look pretty solid on paper. The Steelers also selected Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson in the draft to pair with Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, who was signed from the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency.
The Steelers still need a No. 2 wide receiver after trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys last month, however. The Steelers brought in Gabe Davis for a visit on Thursday, but he left the team’s facility without a contract.
Perhaps Rodgers’ close friend and former teammate Allen Lazard could join him in Pittsburgh.
“I fully expect that sooner than later, and no later than training camp, the Steelers will trade for Jets receiver Allen Lazard,” Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk said. “Lazard, I think, is a perfect complement because when he’s with Rodgers, he plays really well. When he’s not with Rodgers, he does not play very well. The question becomes, what do the Jets want?”
Despite narratives that the Rodgers is washed, it’s hard to dispute that he’s not the best quarterback that the Steelers have had since Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season.
Since 2022, Rodgers has 54 passing touchdowns. In that same time frame, the Pittsburgh Steelers have had only 46 touchdown passes. Rodgers also had only one pass attempt in 2023 before suffering a season-ending Achilles injury.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now:...
