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The Pittsburgh Steelers have Aaron Rodgers for the 2025 season. Having Rodgers on the roster means a lot of things. Throughout his career, it usually meant that he liked to have his favorite receivers with him. During his stop in Pittsburgh, though, Steelers insider Mark Kaboly isn’t expecting Rodgers to bring any of his old friends.
“Maybe something was more possible before last week,” Kaboly said on 93.7 The Fan on Friday. “But I can’t see Aaron Rodgers going into Mike Tomlin’s office and saying ‘I want Allen Lazard right now.’ You know, it just doesn’t seem like he wants to rock the boat a little bit. And how much would the Steelers be interested in him?”
With Rodgers’ aforementioned love for his old receivers, and the Steelers lacking depth at the position after trading away George Pickens, the connections with Allen Lazard don’t come without reason. On the heels of Rodgers signing with the Steelers, even Mike Florio suggested that Lazard could be a move the Steelers are interested in making, although he walked that back shortly after.
Beyond just Lazard, Kaboly’s point recognizes the change in mentality that Aaron Rodgers seems to have. Kaboly is not expecting Rodgers to strive to bring in his own guys, which is a different version of what we’ve seen from Rodgers throughout his career.
With the New York Jets, Rodgers had a chance to be their savior. He was able to handpick his offensive coordinator. He also brought Lazard with him from Green Bay. Things didn’t go well in New York, as we all know by now. That era is having a negative effect on Rodgers’ legacy.
With that in mind, Aaron Rodgers clearly seems to be in a calmer space in Pittsburgh. He only has to play quarterback here. He seems to be at peace with himself. And why wouldn’t he be? The Steelers are arguably the safest landing spot for him after his disastrous time in New York. They always contend for the playoffs, have a strong defense, and have much better coaching.
Many of Rodgers’ actions since becoming a Steeler have shown an acknowledgement of his legacy, from himself. Capping off an extraordinary career, Rodgers doesn’t want to be known as a five-win quarterback. He doesn’t want to be known as a locker room cancer. And the Steelers represent possibly the best chance to wipe those remarks from his legacy.
It’s still June, though. Training camp is a while away. There’s no telling how Aaron Rodgers will react to things once Pittsburgh faces some adversity. However, things are going about as well as possible, so far. Kaboly’s words here give a good sense of the change in mentality that the veteran quarterback seems to have.
