The Pittsburgh Steelers have finally gotten their answer on who will be the starting quarterback for the 2025 season. No surprise to anyone in Steeler Nation, it is Aaron Rodgers, as he signed with the team just prior to the start of mandatory minicamp. Rodgers signing a one-year deal with the team gives them a former MVP to hopefully lead them back to having postseason success.
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Steelers' Aaron Rodgers speaks to members of the Pittsburgh media.
While having such a decorated NFL veteran like Rodgers is obviously a great thing in theory, there will be a large learning curve for both him and the entire offense. Rodgers has worked with several offensive coordinators and play-callers throughout his 20 year NFL career, and he'll add one more to that list this season working with Steelers Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith.
There will need to be a lot of buy-in from Rodgers with Smith's offensive scheme, as well as Smith will need to adjust to having easily the most talented quarterback he has ever called plays for with an established playstyle. Should there be a rift between the two however, Head Coach Mike Tomlin is the one that'll need to manage any conflict.
On his most recent episode of Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger obviously discussed Rodgers and the Steelers. One subject he spoke on was what Tomlin would do should he have to mediate a disagreement between Smith and Rodgers.
"He's going to go to Aaron, 'Hey listen, I'm with you, I'm going to talk to him [Arthur Smith,'" said Roethlisberger. "He's going to go to Arthur, 'Hey, listen, I talked to Aaron, I got him. I'll keep him under wraps.'"
At first glance, these comments from Roethlisberger almost makes it seem as though Tomlin is going to be playing both sides of the fence and not really having the tough conversations when needed. As Roethlisberger elaborated more on his comments, he made it clear his initial remarks were more about making sure all parties involved were happy at the end of the day to keep working. However, the MVP quarterback will likely be the top priority.
"At the end of the day, you've got a guy that's been in the league and there is something to be said about having a quarterback," explained Roethlisberger. "I think he's going to try and do his best to side with that guy."
There might not be anyone more qualified than Roethlisberger to speak on what Tomlin would hypothetically do in a situation where his quarterback and offensive coordinator have a disagreement, as Roethlisberger himself has been in that situation at times while playing under Tomlin.
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Steelers former QB Ben Roethlisberger on the sideline during a game with former offensive coordinator Todd Haley.
Tomlin does a great job of keeping his players and coaches happy with the same goal in mind. There are always going to be a few outliers, but in general, this has been one of Tomlin's strengths and Rodgers himself admitted that Tomlin is a top reason he decided to bring his talents to Pittsburgh.
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Is Going To Be Key For Future Beyond 2025
With the signing of Rodgers to a one-year deal, it was clear that both sides understood this relationship isn't expected to be long-term. However, just because Rodgers is only going to be on the team for one season, doesn't mean his impact will stop when it ends. Rodgers can be a leader and provide mentorship to the other quarterbacks in the Steelers' QB room that can help improve their careers for beyond 2025.
The obvious mentoring opportunity for Rodgers is with rookie Will Howard. Howard has already spoke on how the opportunity for him to learn under Rodgers will be second to none, while Rodgers has also spoken about working with Howard as well, saying that he will help Howard as much as he can.
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Steelers' Will Howard drops back during his rookie minicamp in 2025.
It is obvious that Rodgers helping out Howard throughout his rookie season would be great for all parties involved, and if Howard is able to even pick up just a little bit from the former MVP, it would be great for his early development.
Do you think Tomlin will tend to side with Rodgers this season? Let us know in the comments below!
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