Aaron Rodgers has spent 22 years in the NFL building his own way of doing things, and according to Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth, that approach hasn’t changed in Pittsburgh.
Rodgers is coming off a three-touchdown performance against the Colts, his third straight game with three scoring throws this season and his first run of that kind since his 2021 MVP year. At 42 and a few years removed from an Achilles injury, he’s still going full throttle. He also appears to be treating this season like his last, even with preseason games missed, and Freiermuth says that mindset has set a tone in the locker room.
“He’s (Rodgers) focused on winning the Super Bowl this year. He's put everything in front of the table, his chips on the table every single day," Freiermuth said on The Pat McAfee Show.
"He's been great... consistent since he’s been here last year. He expects greatness from everyone every single day in practice.
I think that’s what stands out to me the most about him. He’s 42 years old, playing in the league for, what, 22 years?
Does he deserve a vet day Wednesday’s and Thursday’s? Absolutely.
"But he’s out there every single day practicing, holding us to a high standard. How could you not go out there every single day and practice your ass off for a guy who probably shouldn’t be out there, have a vet day, get healthy for game day, but he’s out there really pushing us?
He loves to practice, which is great. You need that as a quarterback on your team."
Freiermuth, a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, has already seen a lot of different personalities come through Pittsburgh. Rodgers, he said, brings something different. The veteran quarterback is blunt, vocal, and not shy about letting people know exactly what he thinks.
That showed up against the Browns, when Rodgers was seen yelling at coach Mike McCarthy about a play call, with McCarthy firing back. McCarthy’s history with Rodgers goes back to their Packers days, and Freiermuth said Rodgers can also talk back to McCarthy or teammates during practice. In his view, that’s less about conflict and more about Rodgers doing what he thinks gives the Steelers the best chance to win.
"It's definitely not fun," Freiermuth said about Rodgers’ spats. "Definitely don't recommend it for anything that comes into Pittsburgh.
It’s all out of love. It's all because he wants the best for you.
He sees something on the defense that he thinks he can exploit. If you're the guy he asks to call in that situation, he expects you to be there on time.
"It’s definitely tough to get on that same page as him. But once you do, the sky's the limit.
Not only me, but Germ (Germie Bernard) and DK (Metcalf) and Darnell (Washington), we're really reaping the benefits of that. There's a different relationship between him and coach McCarthy.
They've been together for so many years. We really don’t bat an eye.
They have their little relationship that they like to have... we’re just kind of keeping it pushing."
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