Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Reveals Hilarious Rookie And Coach Behind Offensive Line's Nasty Streak

The Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line has developed a reputation for pushing people around this season, and it has the rushing numbers to back it up. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers says the group's personality is a big reason why, and he gave credit to two people most fans would not think of first.

Pittsburgh ran for 127 yards against the Indianapolis Colts, 148 against the New Orleans Saints in Paris and 200 against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, according to Steelers.com. The line has been physical, and it has been loud.

Rodgers said the trash talk picked up once guard Brock Hoffman got on the field.

"The trash talking has definitely picked up with No. 67 out there," Rodgers said.

Hoffman does not hide from that. He said the chirping is as much for himself as it is for the man across from him.

"A lot of it is for me," Hoffman said. 

He explained that it keeps him locked in and wears down opponents over the course of a game.

Rodgers has enjoyed the show. Back in October, he said guard Mason McCormick and Hoffman regularly make him laugh with what they say to defenders during games. They have also kept him clean. Rodgers was sacked only once, his lowest total of the season at the time, in the Steelers' 34-22 win over the Colts.

Not everyone up front is a talker. Hoffman said center Zach Frazier "doesn't say much," but plays with plenty of aggression.

Steelers Rookie Keeps The Room Laughing

The jokes do not stop when the linemen get off the field. Rodgers said the best offensive line rooms he has been around are the ones that constantly joke with each other, and he named rookie guard Gennings Dunker as the best joke-teller in the group.

That is not new. Earlier this season, Rodgers explained that Dunker, the Steelers' third-round pick out of Iowa, has the daily job of telling a joke in front of the room. Rodgers said about 95 percent of them land.

Rodgers also pointed to Steelers Offensive Line Coach James Campen as the person who built that environment. Campen coached Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers and joined the Steelers' coaching staff in February, and the room he leads can take a joke as well as it can deliver a hit.

"Nobody's too sensitive," McCormick said.

Tackle Troy Fautanu joked that anyone listening to the room might think the linemen hate each other, but he said they know they have each other's backs. SteelerNation already looked at how Fautanu handled the trash-talk war with Cleveland.

"We're jelling now," Fautanu said. "When the offensive line is rolling, everyone else is."

Head Coach Mike McCarthy likes what he is seeing, too.

"I love their temperament, their personality," McCarthy said.

Chemistry has helped. McCarthy said earlier this season that the linemen are "really tight, both on and off the field," and that they spend a lot of time together on their days off. That has shown up in the run game, with running back Jaylen Warren and the offense piling up yards behind them.

It is still a young group, but it has found an identity in the middle of the season, and the players clearly enjoy the version of themselves they have become.

The test now is keeping it going. The 6-2 Steelers come out of their bye week with a trip to Cincinnati on Sunday Night Football on Nov. 15, and the Cincinnati Bengals will know exactly what is coming. If the line keeps playing with this much edge, and keeps laughing while it does, it may not matter.

This story was produced with the help of AI and reviewed by SteelerNation editors.

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