One of the concerns about quarterback Aaron Rodgers signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers late in the offseason is that he wouldn’t have ample time to get acclimated with his new teammates and the playbook.
While it ultimately remains to be seen if the long wait will hurt Rodgers and the Steelers, the future Hall of Fame quarterback is wasting no time getting to work.
In a lengthy article from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer that details the behind-the-scenes stuff on Pittsburgh’s pursuit of Rodgers, Breer reveals that the quarterback immediately went to work learning the playbook after signing on Saturday.
“Rodgers arrived Saturday morning to sign it,” Breer said, “and from there he and Smith immediately dove in on the playbook, things that the Steelers already built in anticipation of his signing and some historical elements of Smith’s scheme and how it matched up with some of Rodgers’s experiences.”
There has been a concern that Rodgers might not be a great fit for Smith’s offense, but Breer notes that there is flexibility in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme thanks to the myriad of quarterbacks he’s worked with.
“One thing that helped was Smith’s relationships with two of Rodgers’s three most recent play-callers — Matt LaFleur in Green Bay and Todd Downing in New York,” Breer explained. “Both were Titans staffmates of Smith’s, and their assessments of Rodgers as a football-brilliant quarterback matched up.
“So, too, did flexibility in Smith’s scheme to fit to whoever the quarterback is, with Smith having called plays for Marcus Mariota, Ryan Tannehill, Matt Ryan, Desmond Ridder, and, last year, Wilson and Fields,” Breer added.
Breer also added that Smith and the Steelers’ offensive coaches have built an offense that “would highlight Rodgers’ strengths.”
Along with getting a quick jump on the playbook, Rodgers is spending quality time with his teammates, as he’s taking part in Cam Heyward’s “Irons for Impact” golf outing, where Metcalf will also be present, per Mark Kaboly.
Of course, sitting in a meeting room going over the playbook isn’t necessarily going to help Rodgers build chemistry with his pass-catchers, but we do know that he and DK Metcalf have taken part in at least one throwing session.
The next step for Rodgers is getting on the actual practice field, which will take place at mandatory minicamp starting on June 10.
From there, Rodgers will get a break before training camp, although we wouldn’t be surprised if he puts in extra work with his receivers during the down time before then.
Read the full article here