CNN
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After months of speculation, Aaron Rodgers finally signed a deal to become the Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback last week and set up another fascinating chapter in his Hall of Fame career.
The 41-year-old inked a one-year, $13.6 million dollar contract with the Steelers in an attempt to bring Super Bowl success back to a franchise which has gone 16 years without a Vince Lombardi Trophy and 14 years since their last appearance in the season-ending game; coincidentally, it was Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers who beat the Steelers in their last Super Bowl appearance in 2011.
On his first day of mandatory minicamp in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Rodgers said that despite being the oldest quarterback in the league, he’s still playing because it’s what he wants to do.
“For my ego, I don’t need it to keep playing,” Rodgers told reporters. “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 (Mike Tomlin) and the guys they got here and the opportunity here was best for me. I’m excited to be here.”
Rodgers’ signing saga divided many given the length of time it took – most notably, Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw said he didn’t want the former Packers and New York Jets star anywhere near the team – but with the four-time NFL MVP at the helm, the Steelers look a formidable outfit.
He is coming off two disappointing seasons with the Jets, including one which was lost to a torn Achilles tendon just four plays into his first year with the franchise.
Although he failed to have the success his signing was meant to bring to Gang Green, Rodgers still showed glimpses of producing like a top-level quarterback last year.
Now, he joins up with Tomlin and an offense led by wide receiver DK Metcalf, who joined in the offseason. Before Rodgers’ signing, videos on social media showed the pair working out in California.
Rodgers – who also revealed on Tuesday that he got married this offseason – was complimentary of Metcalf after his first day of practice with the team, but highlighted head coach Tomlin as the main reason he decided to join.
“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,” he said. “So he’s a big reason of why I’m here and I’m excited to play for him.”
While Steelers fans might be excited at the prospect of Rodgers playing in the Steel City, other members of the NFL are enthusiastic about it for a different reason.
Myles Garrett – who plays for the Steelers’ AFC North rivals, the Cleveland Browns – was asked about Rodgers’ addition to the division on Tuesday and his answer was unequivocal.
“What do I think about it? I think it’s a good opportunity to put him in the graveyard,” Garrett told reporters.
Garrett, the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, is famous for his extravagant Halloween decorations. He has decorated the front yard of his house as a graveyard filled with tombstones adorned with the names of every quarterback he has sacked over his career.
In 2021, Garrett wore a Grim Reaper-style costume with a cloak emblazoned with the names of the quarterbacks he’d sacked.
Garrett’s first opportunity to add Rodgers to that list comes in Week 6 as the Browns travel to Pittsburgh before Cleveland hosts the Steelers in Week 17.
