Brooke Pryor
PITTSBURGH — Aaron Rodgers is not giving his former group any free bulletin board materials this week.
Talking at his weekly media availability Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback deflected all questions on returning to MetLife Stadium to face the New York Jets in Sunday's season opener, downplaying the importance of the sport.
Requested whether or not there was something to the sport due to the situation and opponent or whether or not it was enterprise as regular, Rodgers was temporary.
“Yeah,” he stated, “it is Week 1.”
Rodgers was equally succinct when requested what he expects of his feelings when he runs out of the tunnel at MetLife.
“I would just be excited for Week 1,” he stated.
Rodgers, in fact, was launched by the Jets, below new coach Aaron Glenn, in March after a disastrous two-year stint in New York that began with a season-ending Achilles harm within the 2023 opener and ended with a disjointed 5-12 marketing campaign in 2024. Rodgers finally landed with the Steelers, signing a one-year, $13.65 million contract previous to their June minicamp after a chronic courtship. The Jets, in the meantime, signed onetime Steelers quarterback Justin Fields to a two-year, $40 million deal early in free company.
For Rodgers, becoming a member of the Steelers is the second time in his profession — and second time in three seasons — he has began over with a brand new group after spending his first 18 years with the Inexperienced Bay Packers. Up to now, it has been a seamless transition.
“That is the second new, so it is the brand new new,” he stated. “I am loving being right here. The way in which that I have been welcomed has been actually, actually particular from high right down to the followers to guys within the locker room and sports activities workers, the women and men that work for this group has been actually, actually particular.”
Although Glenn introduced a brand new defensive system with him to New York, Rodgers nonetheless has loads of familiarity with the gamers in it.
“I do know a few of the guys,” he stated. “Clearly the Williams brothers [Quincy and Quinnen] and Sauce [Gardner] and TA [Tony Adams] and Jamien [Sherwood] and Michael Carter, Micheal Clemons, my buddy Jermaine [Johnson] is getting back from his Achilles. I do not wish to neglect anyone. Who else can we bought over there? I imply the younger guys, [Braiden] McGregor … Marcelino McCrary-Ball, so yeah, I do know the fellows fairly properly, however they're operating a bit completely different scheme.”
Rodgers, although, was curt when requested whether or not he nonetheless stored in contact with them or anybody else from the group.
“I am not going to inform you that,” he stated.
Rodgers' evasive method to something involving his previous group was accurately predicted by Steelers coach Mike Tomlin in his weekly information convention a day earlier.
“I am positive he is able to compartmentalizing that,” Tomlin stated of Rodgers' return. “If it means something to him greater than a standard sport, he in all probability would not inform you. We will go play soccer.”
Rodgers is not mum in regards to the significance of the return to only the media. He is additionally downplaying it to his new teammates.
“He makes it look like it is simply one other sport, and I believe that is cool for us, having the ability to simply put it in our minds that it is one other sport,” tight finish Pat Freiermuth stated. “Clearly we wish to go on the market and win it for him, however I do not assume he is form of residing off that, that we're going again to his previous stomping floor. I believe he is simply able to go on the market and compete and play.”
Extensive receiver DK Metcalf stated he can see Rodgers' eagerness to get on the sphere, however it has nothing to do with the opponent.
“I imply I do not assume his former group has something to do with it,” he stated. “I believe he simply loves the sport of soccer, and he is able to go on the market and put a product on the market on the sphere. I do know it's form of a nasty style left in his mouth from the earlier years. He simply needs to go on the market and win as many video games as he can.”
Like Rodgers, Metcalf can be desirous to get on the sphere at MetLife, not due to any private historical past with the group, however as a result of it will likely be the primary time the first-team offense has taken a snap as a whole unit in a sport.
Tomlin, although, is not nervous in regards to the lack of sport motion.
“I see them work day-after-day, and that day by day work results in in-stadium efficiency,” Tomlin stated Tuesday. “Do I've confidence about what they're able to in stadium? I might be making it up. None of us have seen our guys in stadium. And so I simply assume that that is one thing that all of us handle this time of 12 months. … I believe there's some hypothesis, and a few not understanding this time of 12 months.
“You possibly can disguise below your desk, otherwise you could be assured. I select to base my posture on what I've seen from a prep standpoint, and I have been actually comfy with what I've seen.”
Like his coach, Metcalf additionally minimized considerations in regards to the offense's capability to get off to a quick begin.
“No,” he stated. “That is all people else's fear, not mine.”
