The Pittsburgh Steelers have officially told the rest of the NFL that they are going to try and make a deep postseason run in 2026 following the re-signing of Aaron Rodgers. If the team did not welcome him back and allowed one of the other options to become the starter, it's not very likely that the end result would have been as favorable as it could end up being with the four-time MVP running things. Regardless, there are a lot of new faces around, and that starts with wide receivers Michael Pittman Jr. and Germie Bernard. A lot of rapport will have to be built.
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Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) points in the direction of one of his teammates as the group practices during a 2025 training camp workout at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Rodgers has always been known as a leader who isn't afraid to call out teammates and yell at them while on the field. He seems to approach relationships with tough love over any other possible style. This is fine, but it also leads to him sometimes shutting out certain players. It appears that this happened to Roman Wilson back in 2025, as he wasn't given much of an opportunity throughout the course of the year.
Pittman is a veteran and Bernard is a talented rookie; however, if one or both happen to not earn the trust of Rodgers, it could be very problematic for the offense as a whole. That's why it was viewed as so important for the future Hall of Famer to sign with the Steelers prior to Organized Team Activities (OTAs) beginning. He did just that, which is why he is already working with both familiar and fresh faces.
Media accessibility is relatively limited at this time of the year, but certain reporters are allowed to watch workout sessions so fans can have some kind of understanding about what is going on. Ray Fittipaldo joined The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller on Thursday to talk a little bit about how things are going as June approaches. While the beat writer didn't go into detail, he did acknowledge that things aren't going swimmingly just yet for the signal-caller and his pass-catchers.
"I'm just going to be very generic with you and I will just say Aaron Rodgers and his receivers are still working to get on the same page," Fittipaldo said.
It's fair to mention that it is still just May, but the other side of things in this scenario is that Rodgers doesn't just trust anyone. Several poor OTA sessions and a problematic mandatory minicamp might lead to frustration boiling over. Rodgers was not even on the same page all of the time with DK Metcalf in 2025, so this is certainly something that needs to be monitored.
Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press
Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf (left) stands alongside quarterback Aaron Rodgers (right) as the two appear on the practice field during a workout in Pittsburgh, PA.
Football is a team sport, so all three phases matter in the grand scheme of things. With that said, the offense for the Steelers needs to take a step forward in 2026. Rodgers won't be able to do it all by himself at 42 years old, which means that new contributors will need to make their respective marks. There is still plenty of time for rapport to be built by all parties; however, it will become an issue if things don't look cleaned up by training camp.
The Steelers have made it very clear that the intention is to win right now, so Rodgers and Co. will have to be able to put up points and bail out the defense from time to time. Having chemistry with more than just one or two guys is pivotal for any quarterback, but especially Rodgers.
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Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers during a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Steelers Will Have A New-Look Offense Moving Forward
Despite Rodgers returning along with several other playmakers, Mike McCarthy is going to be running the offense. The organization has not had a head coach that focuses on that side of the ball in a very long time, specifically dating back to 1969. There is plenty of familiarity with the new locker room leader and the quarterback, so their combined goal has to be to get every single offensive weapon on board.
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