The second week of June brought the football world their first look at Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steeler.
It's a partnership that was finalized when he signed a one-year, $13.6 million contract on Saturday. But also one that has been months in the making.
For Rodgers, it was the obvious move.
"A big attraction was Mike Tomlin," Rodgers told reporters on Tuesday following his first mandatory minicamp practice with the Steelers. "I've gone against him over the years. The way that the conversations went between him and I, whenever it was in March or April and the last Sunday when I called him was some of the coolest conversations I had in the game. So, he's a big reason of why I'm here and I'm excited to play for him."
Tomlin was equally complimentary of Rodgers, a 20-year NFL veteran with a place all but reserved for him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
"Read his résumé. We're excited about him being here," Tomlin said of Rodgers on Tuesday. "He's excited about being here. But we'll make no bold predictions. We're going to roll our sleeves up and go to work, and let our efforts do the talking."
Rodgers had the Steelers wait long -- many would say excessively so -- before signing with the team, causing some concern he might be behind schedule as they prepare for the 2025 season. Rodgers explained Tuesday he "was dealing with a lot in" his "personal life" and now feels he can "be fully all-in with the guys."
Tomlin knows a player with experience greater than even his head coaching tenure in Pittsburgh isn't going to suffer from missing practice in May and June. As Tomlin said Tuesday, "June reps are a heck of a lot more important for a guy like (2025 sixth-round pick) Will Howard at this stage in his career than a guy who's been doing it for 20 years."
Plus, Rodgers' signing still afforded him time to join his new teammates -- including receiver DK Metcalf, with whom Rodgers worked out earlier this offseason -- during mandatory minicamp.
"We got to get together out west. I've gone against him a number of times," Rodgers said of Metcalf. "He's big, athletic, fast, great hands, ball skills, but the thing that really excites me the most is his character. I think he's a high character guy. I was teasing him in one of the first conversations we had, he said, 'yes sir' 10 times and I said, 'Is that because I'm 41?' and he said, 'no, that's how I talk.' I just like his whole personality and approach and the way he is on the field."
Rodgers, who also revealed Tuesday that he got married this offseason, is excited for his next chapter with the Steelers because of how he took to offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and Tomlin's existing reputation as a premier coach. Having Metcalf on the roster doesn't hurt, either, nor does the prestige of the Steelers organization, over which the quarterback gushed Tuesday, calling them one of "a few iconic franchises in the NFL" and adding "there's something special about this area."
But after enduring two challenging seasons with the Jets -- including one that ended after four snaps due to an Achilles tear -- it's fair to wonder why, at 41 years old, Rodgers is still interested in playing.
"I don't need it. For my ego, I don't need it to keep playing," Rodgers explained. "A lot of decisions that I've made over my career and 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. So this was a decision that was best for my soul. I felt like being here with Coach T. and the guys they got here and the opportunity here was best for me. I'm excited to be here."
Rodgers leads a group of quarterbacks which needed an obvious starter. Yes, experienced veteran Mason Rudolph is back in town, but behind him are underwhelming backup Skylar Thompson and a rookie in Howard. Without Rodgers, the Steelers would have entered 2025 with a glaring concern under center.
As Tomlin knows, his team is only as strong as his quarterbacks room. He's learned about the importance of QB depth because he's been forced to test it in recent years. Whether it was the cycle of quarterbacks in the final years of Ben Roethlisberger's career or the revolving door that accompanied Kenny Pickett's tenure, or even last season's swap from Justin Fields to Russell Wilson, Tomlin has come to understand he might not have the luxury of starting one quarterback in every game.
It's why the Steelers brought back Rudolph, added Thompson and drafted Howard. Their goal is to build the strongest quarterbacks room possible behind Rodgers.
Now, they have a headliner atop the depth chart in Rodgers. They'll hope he lands above the fold for all the right reasons while wearing black and gold in 2025.
