Steelers' Patrick Queen Breaks Down "Crazy" Training Camp Practices Against Aaron Rodgers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are now in the process of preparing for their first preseason game coming up on Thursday. There's still a lot for both sides of the ball to work on, especially the communication on the offensive side of the ball. With Aaron Rodgers under center, the expectations for everyone around him shoot up as he expects perfection in everything. Of course, that starts with the communication with each player knowing what they're supposed to do at all times and with all checks to properly exploit the opposing defense. 

Rodgers' demanding, complicated methodology is a challenge for more than just the offense. While making an appearance on Inside Training Camp Live, linebacker Patrick Queen explained what it's like trying to defend against him every single day in training camp. 

"There's not many quarterbacks that did what Aaron has done already..." Queen said. "It makes the practice fun because you get so many different looks, and then you get to perfect your craft based on what call you got, then you got to go out there and have a challenge, so it's been fun. Trying to pick up on his signals is crazy because he'll literally signal the same thing in the same practice and it will be two different things, so [I'm] still just trying to key on those little small things, but it's been incredible."

That is a big reason why the Steelers wanted Rodgers in the first place. Ever since Ben Roethlisberger retired, they have been unable to trust any passer to make quality, valid checks at the line of scrimmage. The 42-year-old has mastered the art of reading defenses and finding the soft spot to hit. The hope is that his high football IQ can outweigh the rest of him that's in decline for this final run.

If Rodgers can truly get on the same page with everyone on offense, they could do a great job of exploiting all the soft spots in every defense, although that is much easier said than done. They seem to be on the right track at least. So far, it has exclusively been Steelers vs Steelers, and Queen has still yet to figure out what exactly Rodgers means when he calls out audibles and signals with his hands. 

That is exactly what the offense wants to hear, as it means they're doing something right. Being able to consistently deceive the defense is an art that very few teams excel in. Only the greatest quarterbacks are able to properly confuse the opponents constantly. As rough as Rodgers looked in 2025, he is still considered a no-doubt first-ballot Hall of Famer, and he has that kind of skill set.

Steelers Need To Get Better At Deception

In 2025, Rodgers and the Steelers did not have this ability to confuse the defense often. They were very predictable for the most part. Some of it had to do with scheme, and some of it was just the 42-year-old wanting to check it down quickly, so he didn't get hit. Either way, it was easy for the opponents to figure out where the ball was going. Sometimes, stopping it was a problem.

One of the biggest strengths of the Steelers in 2025 was the ultra-jumbo set. They had the ability to telegraph exactly where the ball was going and still get a solid gain out of it due to the sheer power and size of the men up front. That was Pittsburgh's main strategy: when unpredictability went out the window, just win each rep based on sheer talent and size alone. With the new schematics, that may not be the best idea anymore.

What do you think about Queen talking about how confusing it is to defend against Rodgers in practice? Will these improvements in checks and signals translate to the regular season? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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