A few months ago, Pittsburgh Steelers team captain Cameron Heyward made headlines with his stance regarding Aaron Rodgers. Heyward stated that guys — particularly Rodgers — either wanted to be Steelers, or they didn’t. He also added he wasn’t going to do any recruiting or go on darkness retreats with Rodgers to try and convince him to sign.
Fast forward a few months and now Heyward and Rodgers are teammates. There’s no bad blood between the two, either.
In fact, the two veterans who should later be teammates in the Pro Football Hall of Fame when it’s all said and done are off to a great start. Heyward, who appeared on The Rich Eisen Show Wednesday, stated that he’s excited to work with Rodgers and has appreciated him being all in with the Steelers since signing.
“It just felt like he was bought in, and it worked out for the best,” Heyward said of Rodgers, according to video via the show’s YouTube page. “Like, I know sometimes we live in a society where we want things now. But patience has a way of paying off. And to now see he’s a Pittsburgh Steeler and just him walking through the locker room asking questions how we do things, he’s bought in and that’s all I can ask for our quarterback.
“As a teammate, I’m excited to go to work with him.”
Things got off to a good start between Heyward and Rodgers as the 41-year-old quarterback reached out to Heyward and asked if he could attend his golf outing and then later the teammates and family barbecue at Heyward’s house.
That was an easy “yes” for Heyward, so Rodgers got a jump-start on folding himself into the team and its culture.
Once minicamp started, Rodgers addressed the team and stated he is “all in” for them. So far, his actions have backed that up off the field. He’s been putting in the work in the weight room and hosted teammates for a throwing session a few weeks ago in Malibu.
While Rodgers is well-established in the NFL and has his legacy solidified, he’s still doing and saying the right things, trying to ingratiate himself into the Steelers’ culture. For a guy who has a surprising bad reputation as a teammate, at least publicly, he continues to show up for his teammates and has guys raving about him.
Heyward included.
Chances are, they’ll be captains together for the 2025 season. As the elder statesmen in the locker room, too, they’ll be counted on to lead vocally and by example as the Steelers aim to compete and get over the hump this season. Things are looking good right now. Hopefully they remain that way when things start to get real during the regular season and the pressure is on.
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