The news of Aaron Rodgers becoming a Steeler had not even settled, and already, a fan’s post of torching a signed Minkah Fitzpatrick jersey in protest had gone viral. One angry Steelers supporter, fed up with the franchise signing AR, shouted that he was done with the team forever. Minkah’s jersey was the unfortunate collateral damage. Cam Heyward wasn’t having it. “First off, why Minkah’s jersey? That’s bonkers. Second, why burn when there [are] plenty [of] people that need clothes? Third, you are going to regret it,” Heyward posted on X.

It’s good to see Cam hitting out boldly. But the thing is, he already did pick a side months back, didn’t he? Back in March, Heyward seemed completely done with the whole Rodgers waiting game. “I ain’t doing that darkness retreat. I don’t need any of that crap,” he said on his Not Just Football podcast. Then he pivoted hard in favor of Mason Rudolph. Called him reliable. A locker-room guy. Said if the team didn’t sign anyone else, they’d “feel good” rolling with Rudolph. However, the team did sign Rodgers. And now, well, the silence is louder.

More so, it’s telling—if not straight-up awkward—that not a single Steelers player has posted a public welcome for Rodgers since he officially joined the team. Not on Instagram. Not on X. Nothing. Which makes it hard to ignore the contrast. Even starting center Zach Frazier subtly favored chemistry over pedigree: “Chemistry is important. You can’t develop chemistry if you’re not there.” Guess what? This was just days before the announcement.

But that’s not to say Rodgers lacks credentials. The deal is low risk. $10M guaranteed, maxing out at $19.5M with incentives. However, that’s not the point. It’s about trust. And Mason Rudolph might just have the support of his teammates that a QB needs to move confidently under center. “He’s really locked in,” rookie Roman Wilson said. “Everyone likes him.”

Meanwhile, tight end Pat Freiermuth echoed that. “Hell of a guy, hell of a teammate.” Now, whether you admit it or not, Mike Tomlin has a task on his hands to make the most of a serial MVP-winner in A-Rod. Maybe, try breaking the playoff curse. And then, making sure Rudolph feels at home. Tomlin says he’s “comfortable being unsettled.” But time will tell us how comfortable he really is.

Is Aaron Rodgers the QB to take Pittsburgh out of the postseason rut?

Mike Tomlin’s playoff track record isn’t exactly as fear-inducing as one would hope. Over 18 years in Pittsburgh, he’s 8-11 in the postseason. Strip away the Super Bowl run in 2008 and the 2010 appearance? It’s been one-and-done heartbreaks and early exits galore. Jacksonville—twice. Tim Tebow’s Broncos. The Browns, in 2020.

Now, the other way to look at it is that the Marvin Lewis-coached Bengals squad and an Alex Smith-led Chiefs team, thanks to Chris Boswell’s leg, helped scrape out the wins. So, now, when all of a sudden, Steel City hears Aaron Rodgers’ name for a playoff push, it gets the nerves.

But that’s where Robert Woods comes in. When asked how long it’d take to get on the same page with Rodgers, he told Jim Rome: “I think a few weeks. I think we could be under wraps pretty quickly with Aaron Rodgers and the receivers that we have.” Woods isn’t throwing darts here. He’s played with 15 different starting quarterbacks and been in nearly every type of offense. If anyone understands how long it takes to sync up with a new QB, it’s him.

For experienced players like DK Metcalf, Woods himself, and possibly Scotty Miller, it could be a quick installation. But for rookies like Roman Wilson? That’s a different ballgame. Rodgers’ playbook is part route tree, part secret handshake. The guy has a PhD in freelancing post-snap. Still, Wilson reportedly being one of the last guys off the field is promising. He’s trying to close that gap fast.

If Rodgers can mold this group quickly, Pittsburgh might finally break free from its playoff purgatory. But fair warning: fans have seen this movie before. This one just stars a new lead.