Aaron Rodgers did the Pittsburgh Steelers a favor when he agreed to a team-friendly contract to hitch the membership. That mentioned, Rodgers solely put pen to paper on that deal in time to take part in some necessary minicamp drills after he spent the majority of the offseason program as a free-agent quarterback.
For an article printed on Monday, Steelers reporter Mike DeFabo of The Athletic warned Pittsburgh followers about having any sturdy reactions to how Rodgers did and/or did not look throughout his first practices together with his new employer.
“Anybody who has an opinion on how Aaron Rodgers seemed within the Steelers’ offense this offseason (good or dangerous) both has an agenda or is totally making issues up,” DeFabo wrote. “The four-time NFL MVP missed the primary two weeks of (organized group actions) after which signed his one-year contract simply forward of minicamp. In the course of the three practices Rodgers attended, he was a really restricted participant. He threw to receivers solely in the course of the routes-on-air segments, flashing his trademark fast launch. The 41-year-old QB was additionally comparatively cell throughout particular person drills, at the least for an athlete of his age. Nonetheless, that’s nearly all Rodgers did.”
Questions on what Rodgers could or could not have left within the tank exist for causes that transcend the truth that he’ll flip 42 years previous this coming December. He handled a broken thumb on his throwing hand earlier than he went down with a rib harm in Week 12 of the 2022 season whereas with the Inexperienced Bay Packers. Rodgers then famously suffered a torn Achilles 4 offensive snaps into his regular-season debut with the New York Jets in September 2023. Extra lately, multiple physical setbacks slowed the long run Corridor of Famer final fall.
Pro Football Reference exhibits that Rodgers completed the 2024 season tied for seventh within the NFL with 28 passing touchdowns and eighth with 3,897 yards by way of the air. Nonetheless, he was additionally twenty eighth amongst certified gamers with a 48.0 adjusted QBR. Per ESPN stats, the 2024 Jets had been twenty fourth in offensive yards per recreation (310.3) and tied for twenty fourth in factors scored per contest (19.9) with Rodgers within the lineup.
Some proceed to openly question how Rodgers will get together with Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith after Smith allegedly did not need Russell Wilson altering performs on the line of scrimmage “and deviating from the sport plan” final season. It looks as if Rodgers and Smith will quickly talk about what the veteran will and won’t do on the sector earlier than he snaps the soccer this coming fall.
“Rodgers and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith plan to spend time this offseason discovering center floor between the pass-happy QB (who tried the second-most passes within the league final 12 months) and the run-heavy offensive coordinator (who referred to as the fourth-most operating performs in 2024),” DeFabo added.
Historical past suggests Rodgers will appear like a more-than-capable QB1 whereas sporting shorts throughout coaching camp periods. Assuming that would be the case, Steelers followers could wish to forestall themselves from getting too enthusiastic about what Rodgers will give the AFC North membership throughout what may very well be a one-season journey with Pittsburgh.
