Aaron Rodgers was back at the Steelers' practice facility before most of Pittsburgh had started its workday, then took the field Monday as the team officially announced his one-year contract worth up to $25 million. The 42-year-old quarterback arrived among the first people at the building, left just after 7 a.m. for his physical and returned around 7:45 a.m. before practice began just after 11 a.m.
That timeline mattered because it marked a sharp change from a year ago, when Rodgers did not arrive in Pittsburgh and sign until just before mandatory minicamp. This time, he had agreed to the deal before the first day of voluntary OTA workouts, giving the Steelers something they did not have then: a quarterback in the building, on the field and in the huddle from the start of spring work.
Payton Wilson saw Rodgers just after 7 a.m. as he headed out to take his physical with head athletic trainer Gabe Amponsah, and he said the sight caught him off guard. “I was a little shocked, definitely,” Wilson said. The surprise gave way quickly to a different reaction once Rodgers was back and suited up.
During the media viewing period, Rodgers went through team stretch alongside Will Howard, Drew Allar and Mason Rudolph, then took first-team reps in a portion of offensive install. He completed five throws in a passing period, opening with a completion to Michael Pittman Jr. and then connecting twice more with Pittman, once with DK Metcalf, once with Roman Wilson and once with Pat Freiermuth.
Pittman said the first day was enough to show why Rodgers has lasted this long at the top of the sport. “Even in the first day, he made a couple of great throws, and I was like, wow, I'm really playing with Aaron,” Pittman said. He added, “It's great. I mean, I get to play with another Hall of Fame quarterback because I got to play with Philip Rivers. I'm going to say he's going to make it. So this is my second.”
Pittman also pointed to the way Rodgers communicates at practice. “Oh yeah, because he's going to tell you,” he said. “It didn't happen to me specifically yet, but like I've seen it from watching games.... He's just a vet, just like a super vet quarterback, so he knows what he likes and what he doesn't like.... if you're not doing what you're supposed to do, he's going to let you know, which is good. I think it's good to have that leadership.”
Chris Boswell said Rodgers' early arrival sent the right message to the locker room. “For him to come back early right now and be around the guys, obviously one of his previous coaches, I mean, it's only positive,” Boswell said. The Steelers have not had to wait for their new quarterback to catch up this spring, and Monday showed how different that can look when he is there before the first OTA rep.
What comes next is simple enough to see. Rodgers is already part of the Steelers' spring work, and the team can spend the rest of OTAs and minicamp building around him instead of introducing him after the fact. For a club that spent a year waiting for his arrival, that is the real change.
