Aaron Rodgers return sparks reaction from Steelers teammates

Aaron Rodgers is officially back in the building.

The four-time NFL MVP signed his name on the dotted line on May 18, marking his return to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 22nd season in the league. It will be his second in Pittsburgh, and his teammates are preparing for another run with the future Hall of Fame quarterback.

Rodgers joined the team for organized team activities (OTAs) after signing the deal, sparking reaction from some of his teammates – new and old.

"It can only be good," Chris Boswell said of Rodgers' impact on the team. "Having a guy like that in the building can only help you. I don't think it'll ever hurt you. For him to come back early right now and be around the guys, you know obviously one of his previous coaches, it's only positive for sure."

Boswell did say he was surprised to see Rodgers, adding he had no insight about the quarterback's return to the practice field. That wasn't unique to just Boswell either. Michael Pittman Jr., who was acquired via trade from the Indianapolis Colts in March, also had no inside information from Rodgers.

"He never told me anything," Pittman said of when he found out about the Rodgers' signing. "I learned from Twitter before he told me."

Pittman has experience with veteran quarterbacks, pointing to his time with Philip Rivers in Indianapolis. Still, the receiver knows that Rodgers will have his own preferences and that will be an adjustment. He noted that Rodgers will let players know if something isn't done right and was asked if he was speaking from experience.

“It didn’t happen to me specifically yet, but I’ve seen it from watching games and stuff,” Pittman said with a laugh, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “He’s just a vet – a super vet quarterback. So he knows what he likes and doesn’t like. You guys have watched him play, how if you’re not doing what you’re supposed to do, he’s going to let you know – which is good. I just think it’s good to have that leadership.”

The receiver noted that he did join Rodgers for a throwing session earlier in the offseason, but that came before the quarterback made a decision on his future. While that experience could prove to be valuable for Pittman, he pointed out that there is plenty of time to get on the same page.

“This is the first day,” Pittman said. "So we have from now up until that first game, and we’re gonna get as many reps as possible.”

Unlike Pittman, offensive lineman Troy Fautanu can lean on his 2025 season. Like the others, Fautanu found out about Rodgers' return from social media.

"We all found out on Instagram," Fautanu said, via 93.7 The Fan. "I opened my iPad and seen that Pat McAfee had posted it and I was like, 'Here we go!'"

Fautanu said, via ESPN's Brooke Pryor, that it only took one snap to get familiar with Rodgers' cadence again.

"It was like he never left."