The Pittsburgh Steelers waited patiently for veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers to make his decision on whether to retire and hang up the cleats and pads or give the NFL another shot. Ultimately, Rodgers signed with the Steelers just in time to make mandatory minicamp and get some offseason work in with his new teammates.
It seems like it’ll be a one-and-done for Rodgers, per the four-time MVP himself.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure this is it,” Rodgers said in an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. “That’s why we just did a one-year deal. Steelers didn’t need to put any extra years on it or anything. This was really about finishing with a lot of love, and fun, and peace for the career that I’ve had.
“I mean, I’ve played 20 freaking years. It’s been a long run and I’ve enjoyed it. What better place to finish than in one of the cornerstone franchises of the NFL? With Mike Tomlin and a great group of leadership, and great guys, and a city that expects you to win.”
Rodgers also revealed that a big part of the reason he wanted to end his career with head coach Mike Tomlin and the Steelers was the franchise’s move to trade for star wide receiver DK Metcalf earlier in the offseason.
“DK is a lead-by-example guy,” he said. “He’s a big reason I’m in Pittsburgh as well. Conversations that we had and just the kind of person that he is. At the start of the year, I didn’t really know DK at all. He’s like, ‘I work out at 6 a.m. every day.’ I’m like, okay, this guy has discipline, this guy has a drive.
“I said, ‘How about 8 o’clock because I’m gonna have to drive from Malibu to UCLA?’ He said, ‘Yeah, that’s fine.’ He’s not just a specimen, but he’s a really solid human being. He’s a solid, solid dude, and he leads by example. The way he practices — I think that’s one of the most encouraging things is the room goes how the top dog goes.”
It’ll be interesting to see if Rodgers and Metcalf can help the Steelers end thier playoff drought before it reaches a decade.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.