Aaron Rodgers' time with Steelers starts with cautious optimism

PITTSBURGH — Aaron Rodgers took the snap, turned to his left, and flicked his first semi-official pass as a Pittsburgh Steeler.

A split-second later, the ball settled right into the hands of linebacker Patrick Queen for an interception.

The crowd that lined a sweltering Chuck Noll Field during Pittsburgh's initial practice of training camp on Thursday groaned.

Rodgers did not.

"It (was) good to get that out of the way," he said later a grin.

The 41-year-old has been doing this a long time. Longer than every other active player in the league, actually. He's been a member of the Steelers for barely six weeks. It's July. The last time he threw against something other than air was against Miami in early January, when he tossed four touchdown passes in the finale of his two tumultuous seasons with the New York Jets.

Taking chances and figuring things out is what camp is all about.

"I'm going to throw some picks," Rodgers said.

Then the four-time MVP paused ever so slightly before adding, "But I'm going to throw some touchdowns too."

Those will have to wait. There were none to be had for Rodgers or any of Pittsburgh's other three quarterbacks during a 90-minute session that was more about shaking off rust and learning how to deal with the heat than anything else.

"Things are going to get better and look better as we go," Rodgers said. "But I'm excited about where we're at day one."

The reality for Rodgers and the new-look Steelers is that whatever happens on the field during their three weeks at Saint Vincent College might be secondary to what happens off it.

Pittsburgh rebuilt the major components of its offense on the fly in the offseason, with Rodgers and the one-year deal he signed in June at the center of it.

Rodgers was among the first veterans to arrive, checking into Rooney Hall on Tuesday night, nearly 24 hours ahead of Wednesday's deadline. He was pleasantly surprised to find out that he had a room on the ground floor. Even better, his suitemate is newly acquired wide receiver and occasional workout partner DK Metcalf.

The two initially bonded during a workout in Southern California in early spring when Rodgers was still weighing his options. They hooked up again, this time with several teammates in tow, in Malibu between the end of minicamp and the start of training camp.

Still, building the chemistry required to be successful is an imprecise process. Metcalf admitted it can be "tough in the beginning," and Rodgers has no interest in forcing it, though being together in close quarters for a couple of weeks can help speed up the process, one of the many reasons the Steelers remain one of the handful of teams that still go away for camp.

Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is making it a point to give Rodgers the floor during meetings, urging Rodgers to offer whatever insights he might have. Rodgers, who stressed the importance of finding the "right messaging" during camp, has found a willing pupil in rookie quarterback Will Howard.

"I want to be a support system for him and pass on anything I can," Rodgers said. "I don't want to overstep my bounds, but if he wants to learn anything or pick my brain or be in my hip pocket, I'm all for it."

While Rodgers believes Howard can become a "long-term guy" in the NFL, Rodgers is the short-term answer in Pittsburgh, which aggressively overhauled a chunk of its roster in hopes of trying to end a playoff victory drought that's nearing a decade.

Rodgers thinks the Steelers are one of the 10 to 12 teams "on paper" that have a legitimate chance to compete for a championship. He's been on plenty of teams that fit that profile in the past. Only one of them — the Green Bay team that beat the Steelers in the Super Bowl nearly 15 years ago — actually made it to the top.

So rather than offer some sort of prediction, Rodgers instead pointed to the importance of leaning into the process.

"It's times like this," he said. "With these 17 or so practices that we have here and ... hanging out with each other in the lunchroom and snack and the different times that we have and growing together."

That sort of pragmatism, however, doesn't mean Rodgers will accept whatever comes in 2025. He has expectations, both for himself and the Steelers.

What are they? Pressed to detail them, Rodgers was well, Rodgers, flashing the dry — at times very, very dry — humor that's become one of his trademarks.

"I'm not telling you," he said with a smile.