Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Was Direct With Cam Heyward: "I Was Hurt. You Didn't Reach Out"

The Pittsburgh Steelers were enthralled in headlines throughout the 2025 offseason as the organization pursued some sort of solution at quarterback. Some fans wanted the franchise to attack the position in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but that did not happen. Pittsburgh was connected to four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers for months, and the veteran quarterback finally decided to sign right before mandatory minicamp began in June. That saga went on for a while, and many players and other members of the NFL-world made their feelings known as it unfolded.

One player that made some comments about Rodgers was Cam Heyward. Heyward spoke about the pursuit of Rodgers during en episode of his podcast, and he sounded fed up as the situation unfolded. He was frustrated with the quarterback taking his sweet time on making a decision about what he was going to do for the 2025 season, and Heyward essentially just asked him point blank whether he wanted to be a Steeler or not. Well, Rodgers eventually signed, and he was on Heyward's podcast Not Just Football on Tuesday. The two spoke about that moment.

"I was hurt, yeah," Rodgers said. "I was hurt. You didn't reach out, you just wanted to make a statement in the media. You had a preconceived notion of who I was."

The veteran quarterback seemed to be half-joking when making this comment, and the two teammates have certainly talked about the situation before and already squashed the so-called beef (if there even was any). Heyward apologized and spoke about his preconceived notion of how Rodgers has changed since the two have become teammates and gotten to know one another better.

People having preconceived notions about how Rodgers is as a person is a common theme. In a way, he has done it to himself with some of his actions, but it is also a product of how the sports media world has decided to paint him in the national spotlight. There has been a ton of focus on his personal life, his relationships, and his personal excursions to Peru to try ayahuasca. These types of conversations from major media outlets paints Rodgers in a negative light with their audience, which could be something that Heyward fell victim to.

The veteran quarterback has also been framed as a bad teammate at times, and that stems from the way he has treated wide receivers. During the 2024 season, he called out Mike Williams for not using proper technique on a route at the end of a game, which was a major story for a few days. It was probably a conversation that should have been had in private, but it just shows that the quarterback demands the best from his teammates.

Steelers Fans Should Come Around On Aaron Rodgers In 2025

When Rodgers initially signed, the fan base in Pittsburgh was a bit split on the situation. Some fans could recognize that the future Hall of Famer likely gives the Steelers the best chance to win in 2025, while others were already fed up with the entire offseason charade. The quarterback stated that he was going through some pretty serious things in his personal life that delayed his decision to sign, but the fan base was still hard on him for taking his time.

As fans continue to get to know Rodgers while he is in Pittsburgh, the approval rating of the quarterback should only skyrocket. He is a unique individual and it's easy for people to develop a certain opinion about him, but that will change for a lot of people as the season moves along. He has proven in multiple ways that he is a good teammate and a good person, and he will continue to grow on people in the Steel City.

What do you think about Rodgers and Heyward's conversation? Let us know in the comments below!

#SteelerNation