Aaron Rodgers: Joining Steelers for his 21st season was a decision ‘best for my soul’

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PITTSBURGH — Tuesday morning at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, Aaron Rodgers stepped in front of his new team for the first time as the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback.

After months of uncertainty and speculation, which included Rodgers’ missing the first six OTA practices, the new signal caller had a message for his new teammates.

“He said he’s all in from now on,” Steelers center Zach Frazier said after the morning walk-through.

Steelers center Zach Frazier on what the offense can be with Aaron Rodgers: “Sky’s the limit. The goal is to put up a lot of points every game. That’s what we’re here to do.” pic.twitter.com/WA7wrmZxhR

— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) June 10, 2025

After a practice in which Rodgers participated only in individual drills, the QB spoke with the media and broke what’s largely been months of silence. He revealed why he chose the Steelers, why now was the right time to sign and why this year in Pittsburgh might be different from his turbulent tenure with the New York Jets.

“I was dealing with a lot of things in my personal life,” Rodgers said. “Some things improved a little bit, where I felt like I could fully be all in here with the guys.

“I didn’t want to short-change the guys and be signed but be elsewhere mentally or physically,” he continued. “Until I could be here and be all in, I needed to take care of my business.”

Rodgers didn’t elaborate further on his personal matters, but on ‘The Joe Rogan Experience,” Rodgers said several people in his inner circle are battling cancer. That business also included getting married. Rodgers, who has been sporting a ring on his left hand, confirmed he got hitched a few months ago without going into any additional detail.

The newest Steelers QB said that through the process, he stayed in contact with coach Mike Tomlin. The 41-year-old quarterback has always admired and respected Tomlin from afar, but the way Tomlin approached an uncertain time helped to seal the deal.

“A big attraction was Mike Tomlin,” Rodgers said. “I’ve gone against him over the years. The way that the conversations went between him and I … were some of the coolest conversations I’ve had in the game, definitely with a head coach. So he’s a big reason I’m here. I believe in him, and excited to play for him.”

When Tomlin was asked what Rodgers brings to the Steelers, he answered simply by saying, “Read his resume.”

Aaron Rodgers to DK Metcalf for one of the first times ever in Steelers uniforms: pic.twitter.com/kXOSJW35i5

— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) June 10, 2025

In a lot of ways, that resume speaks for itself. In Rodgers’ 20-year career, he’s won the Super Bowl and four MVPs. He’s been selected to 10 Pro Bowls, thrown 503 touchdowns (fifth most all time), racked up 62,952 passing yards (seventh all time) and completed 5,369 passes (also seventh all time). There’s no question he’s among the all-time great QBs and a future Hall of Famer, likely on the first ballot.

“(We’re) very excited,” second-year receiver Roman Wilson said. “A guy (who is) probably a Hall of Famer. Super Bowl champion. A lot of experience. A lot of wisdom, and a guy I can learn from.”

But resumes are a summary of what someone has already done, not what they’re going to do. And that’s really the question here: How much does Rodgers have left at 41 years old and about 21 months removed from a torn Achilles?

“I’m 41,” Rodgers said. “The body feels different than it did at 25. But I feel good. I felt good last year. I worked really hard. It was a tough couple years getting hurt and then rehabbing to get back. But I feel good.”

During an uninspiring, five-win season with the Jets, Rodgers showed several signs of decline. In his prime, Rodgers’ outstanding mobility allowed him to create outside of structure and complete off-platform throws. However, with age and injury taking their toll, he was the NFL’s worst QB against the blitz (min. 300 attempts), with a minus-0.20 EPA per dropback, according to TruMedia.

His accuracy also declined, as Rodgers threw 11 interceptions to go along with his 28 touchdown passes and 3,897 passing yards. It was just the fourth time in his career he’s thrown double-digit interceptions, but the second time in his last two full seasons. His completion percentage (63 percent) was the fourth lowest of any season in which he played 16 games or more.

It seems even Rodgers himself has questioned how much he’s got left in the tank. Rodgers publicly flirted with retirement after the season before deciding he still has more to give the game. At this point, he wants to play more than he needs to play.

“I don’t need it for my ego,” Rodgers said. “I don’t need to keep playing. A lot of decisions that I’ve made over my career and in life, from strictly the ego, even if they turn out well, are always unfulfilling. But the decisions made from the soul are usually pretty fulfilling. This is a decision that was best for my soul.”

By signing Rodgers, the Steelers are betting that a cerebral athlete can use his brain and his two decades of experience to work around any physical limitations in a similar way to what Peyton Manning did at the end of his career. There’s also hope that, further removed from his Achilles injury, he’ll be healthier and more mobile.

Rodgers, who still has some juice left in his right arm and displayed a quick release at practice, also is in a more stable and supportive environment for a QB than in New York. Theoretically, he won’t have as much pressure to win games only with his right arm on a team that employs the NFL’s highest-paid defense and features a run-heavy offense that will limit his exposure.

That said, the Steelers tried a similar formula, hoping that T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick, along with an Arthur Smith offense that ran the ball fourth most, could support veteran Russell Wilson. After a promising start to the season, the offense ground to a halt down the stretch with the Steelers scoring just 14.2 points per game in their final five games (four regular-season losses and a first-round playoff exit).

First look at the Steelers’ newest old gunslinger, Aaron Rodgers pic.twitter.com/5CaHtQ9ZcV

— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) June 10, 2025

Tight end Pat Freiermuth said there’s “urgency” to improve on offense and “make some noise in the playoffs.”

Whether Rodgers can raise the Steelers’ ceiling and help them snap an eight-year winless drought in the playoffs remains to be seen. But with a new quarterback, there’s optimism internally — at least for now.

“Sky’s the limit,” Frazier said. “The goal is to put up a lot of points every game. That’s what we’re here to do.”

Asked what it would mean to make a deep playoff run and hoist the Lombardi Trophy one more time, Rodgers put the focus more so on his new organization than himself.

“It would mean a seventh championship for the city,” he said. “Right?”

But what about Rodgers personally?

“I have a lot that motivates me, but this is about the love of the game,” Rodgers said. “The game has given me so much over the years, and (I’m) making peace with a nice, long career.”

(Photo: Mike Stobe / Getty Images)

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