“His ability to extend plays and ad-lib without offensive negativity has been really impressive,” Mike Tomlin said of Aaron Rodgers—only this time, it’s not from the other side. For years, the Steelers’ head coach dreaded facing Rodgers’ improvisational wizardry. Now, he’s banking on it to carry Pittsburgh into a new era. But as Rodgers gears up for his first season in black and gold, the setup around him feels anything but championship-ready.

This isn’t about mentorship or roster glue. The Steelers didn’t bring in Rodgers to babysit a rebuild—they brought him in to win now. And yet, the pieces around him tell a riskier story. Broderick Jones has just 13 starts under his belt. Troy Fautanu is recovering from a torn ACL. Rookie center Zach Frazier is still learning how to recognize an NFL blitz. “Older quarterbacks don’t want to get hit, and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks get hit,” Colin Cowherd warned. And while the line may be shaky, the locker room energy has shifted, thanks to one very vocal quarterback.

Pat McAfee asked the question every Steelers fan had been dying to hear answered: “For both of you, but TJ first, what’s it like with Aaron in camp?” The response from TJ Watt came laced with his signature smirk. “Frustrating because he talks a lot of smack,” he quoted. And no, he wasn’t joking. Whether it’s no-look lasers or last-second audibles, Rodgers is already driving Pittsburgh’s defense mad—and that’s by design. He’s testing them every rep, not just to compete, but to elevate. “I like to bat down a lot of passes on scrimmage, and he’s able to manipulate the defense good, so that’s been very frustrating,” he added.

For Watt, it’s a daily chess match. For Rodgers, it’s just a normal day. But underneath the banter is a very real shift in Pittsburgh’s DNA. This isn’t the same old Steelers. “It’s all about being aggressive,” Watt said recently. That aggression landed them a Hall of Fame quarterback, an All-Pro receiver in DK Metcalf, and a shutdown corner in Jalen Ramsey. The Steelers are tired of living off their reputation. They’re retooling for rings, and Rodgers is right at the center of that plan. At 41, he isn’t floating into Pittsburgh like royalty. He’s earning every yard in camp. “Hopefully today we get the better of him,” Watt said with a grin, knowing full well that frustration is part of the plan.

And that plan? It started long before training camp. Earlier this summer, Rodgers invited several of his new teammates out to Malibu for private workouts, laying the groundwork for chemistry before the pads even came on. One of the invitees, wide receiver Calvin Austin III, came away more than impressed. But one thing’s certain: Rodgers isn’t just here for the ride. He’s steering this thing with purpose.

Aaron Rodgers shrugs off early camp struggles

Aaron Rodgers is no stranger to criticism, but he’s even less concerned about it. When asked by Pat McAfee about the viral chatter following his interception to Patrick Queen—“How much do you love people thinking that you lost it?”—Rodgers didn’t flinch. “Oh, I don’t give a sh-t about that.” His tone said it all. He’s not here to appease critics or curate a farewell tour. He’s here to compete. And the Steelers defense? They’ve made sure of that. On his very first team period snap of camp, Queen jumped a DK Metcalf route and picked Rodgers clean. It was a welcome-to-Pittsburgh moment—a jolt that set the tone.

And the defense wasn’t done. Day Three brought another test—and another turnover. This time, it was Jalen Ramsey lurking in coverage, baiting Rodgers into a floater toward tight end Jonnu Smith. Ramsey made it look easy. One leap, one clean snag, and another dent in Rodgers’ rhythm. There wasn’t a busted route or miscommunication to explain it away. Just a quarterback pressing too hard and a defense refusing to blink. Sideline reports noted how Rodgers’ body language tightened. He wasn’t brushing this off—he felt it. Because in Pittsburgh, this defense isn’t just reacting. It’s dictating.

Even Mike Tomlin applied pressure in his own way. During the team’s signature “Seven Shots” red zone drill, Rodgers flubbed a snap, and Tomlin didn’t coddle him. “3-3,” the head coach declared bluntly, pointing to the scoreboard. No excuses, no exceptions. Rodgers fired one last attempt into a tight window, only for linebacker Nick Herbig to swat it away like clockwork. And that’s the reality: Rodgers may not give a damn about the critics, but inside Steelers camp, the defense is holding him to a different standard. One where nothing—past accolades included—guarantees immunity.