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Brooke Pryor
LATROBE, Pa. — Quarterback Aaron Rodgers accomplished his first go in his first group interval Thursday afternoon on the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ opening coaching camp observe.
The one drawback? It wasn’t to considered one of his offensive ability place gamers.
As a substitute, linebacker Patrick Queen picked off the opening throw from the four-time MVP, prompting loud “Ooos” from the group of a few thousand at St. Vincent Faculty.
However to Rodgers, the interception wasn’t a nasty omen for his Steelers’ tenure.
“It is good to get that out the way in which,” Rodgers mentioned. “Anyone that is watched me observe over time, you prefer to attempt sure throws at sure occasions, and anyone that is watched me within the video games is aware of I have been fairly stellar caring for the soccer over time.
“It is going to be problem for me throwing on this warmth each single day. I stay up for it, however I’ll throw some picks, however I’ll throw some touchdowns, too.”
Rodgers did not throw any touchdowns in Thursday’s 90-minute observe, however he accomplished team-period passes to vast receiver Scotty Miller, tight finish Darnell Washington and vast receiver DK Metcalf.
Rodgers had one completion to Metcalf on three targets in group intervals, however the quarterback wasn’t involved concerning the pair’s connection.
“DK and I’ve labored out within the offseason collectively, obtained relationship,” Rodgers mentioned. “We talked about a variety of soccer stuff. We FaceTime, we texted through the offseason after many camps, so we have relationship. It is going to simply carry on rising.”
It should additionally continue to grow within the dorms at St. Vincent Faculty, the place they’re suitemates, because of a Mike Tomlin-assigned association.
“I used to be secretly hoping it wasn’t a giant lineman or one thing,” Rodgers mentioned with a sly grin. “Perhaps any person had cared about their hygiene just a little bit. So, once I walked in I noticed a normal suitcase. I mentioned, ‘Oh, I feel it’ll be good. That is in all probability DK.'”
Like Rodgers, Metcalf was shocked they have been dwelling so shut to one another.
“He knocked on my door, and I believed it was the entrance door, and it was truly my rest room door,” Metcalf mentioned. “He was like, ‘Oh man, I hoped it was you.’ I used to be like, ‘I didn’t suppose I used to be going to have a roommate, however glad to see you, too.’
“It was expertise simply to see his face and figuring out that we might proceed conversations outdoors the assembly room.”
Rodgers is not a stranger to staying in dorms on a school campus for coaching camp after spending 14 seasons at St. Norbert Faculty for the Green Bay Packers‘ camp. And although Rodgers is a larger-than-life persona along with his soccer résumé and popular culture presence, Tomlin mentioned that he wasn’t frightened about Rodgers becoming into the Steelers’ tradition.
“When in Rome, he’ll be Roman, and it is our job to show him how we do issues,” Tomlin mentioned after Thursday’s observe. “However not solely him, guys like Jalen Ramsey and others, man, we obtained a variety of new vital gamers. As a coach, I embrace that problem of training them not solely concerning the issues that we worth however how we go about our enterprise right here. They’ve all been actually receptive to it.”
The Steelers’ means of doing enterprise shifted this offseason because the group went all-in to overtake the roster and usher in quite a few high-profile acquisitions, together with Rodgers, Metcalf and Ramsey. Normal supervisor Omar Khan mentioned Wednesday that he was constructing a group to win the Tremendous Bowl. A day later, Rodgers expressed his confidence within the group Khan assembled.
“I feel many of the 32 groups would in all probability say one thing to that accord presently of the yr, however I feel that there is actually solely six to eight that basically have a professional probability,” Rodgers mentioned. “Typically, it is 10 to 12 and there is groups that shock you, however I’d say on paper, we’re in all probability a kind of 10 to 12.”
And, he added, turning a paper championship into an actual Lombardi Trophy begins with coaching camp.
“It is coming collectively, occasions like this with these 17 or so practices that now we have right here and discovering the chemistry and hanging out with one another … rising collectively by way of our observe,” he mentioned. “Mike needs to observe on the hottest time of the day, which is fascinating, however I find it irresistible simply because it is a stressor. We see how guys reply to adversity.”