How Did Aaron Rodgers, the $13.6 Million Man, Do?
Aaron Rodgers did fine at the Pittsburgh Steelers minicamp. The Steelers were hoping their aged quarterback would finish camp upright. He did. It is sure to be a news-filled season with Aaron Rodgers at the helm of the team. The position will generate news on its own, but Aaron Rodgers is a news-generating machine.
Maybe that is why they signed the 41-year-old Rodgers to a $13.6 million contract. Many Steelers fans are clamoring for backup Mason Rudolph to start, but that would be a mistake. Aaron Rodgers still has arm talent. Do you think Aaron Rodgers can lead the Steelers to the NFL Playoffs?
Aaron Rodgers’ Performance and Contract
The most important thing about Aaron Rodgers’ performance at the Steelers’ minicamp is that he did not get hurt. It is important to the Steelers that the quarterback stays healthy all season. Though some Steelers fans would get their wish if Rodgers got hurt, Rudolph would be the starting quarterback. Secondly, Rodgers needed to bond with his receivers. He did that and will likely continue to do that in advance of training camp, which begins on July 23.
The Steelers signed Rodgers to an expensive contract, though it is short-term. The details of the contract include a $10 million signing bonus. With $500,000 worth of bonuses, it is a one-year $13,650,000 contract. The contract has a salary cap hit of $14,150,000. Given that the Steelers have invested that much money in Rodgers, he needs to remain healthy and perform well. It will be interesting to see in the regular season how much he scrambles.
Aaron Rodgers Wants the Playbook In Hardcopy
This is a humorous story and may reveal the 41-year-old’s age. When Aaron Rodgers first arrived at the facility, he asked Steelers‘ Quarterbacks coach Tom Arth if he could have the playbook printed out. Rodgers is an old-school guy and said he prefers taking notes with a pencil on paper printouts of the offensive installs rather than using a tablet. Arth relayed the request to administrative assistant Chrissy Bulger. Before Rodgers’ first offensive meeting, Bulger assembled a binder and also included a pouch of pencils, erasers, and highlighters.
“After the meeting, Aaron came and asked, ‘Did you say Chrissy put this together?'” Arth said. “He went over and thanked her for putting it all together. He gave her back the pencils and the pen and the highlighters and said, ‘I already bought my own. And I don’t want you to have to order any more.’ “It was just a very thoughtful way to introduce himself to Chrissy and start building that relationship. That stood out to me.” Though Rodgers signaled to the Steelers he was all-in by signing his contract and reporting to minicamp. He did not immediately take on a full complement of duties in practice.
Aaron Rodgers On the Rams?
Expect many strange stories about Rodgers to come out all season. Here is one, he was almost a Ram. Rams Coach Sean McVay confirmed a report Wednesday from earlier this offseason that the Rams would have gone after Rodgers had they traded Matthew Stafford. There is more. The Rams also had interest in Rodgers in 2021, but the Packers were not interested in trading him. Instead, the Rams traded Jared Goff and three draft picks to the Detroit Lions for Stafford, and they ended up winning Super Bowl LVI.
Conclusion
Aaron Rodgers’ presence on the Pittsburgh Steelers will be a news-making machine this season. There is never a dull moment with either the aged quarterback or the Steelers, who are one of the most popular teams in the National Football League. There will be great interest in the aged Rodgers this season.
