Key to a better year for Aaron Rodgers is a better rapport with his targets. Ray Fittipaldo is skeptical that we will see that this year. Despite his decades in the NFL, even Rodgers needs time to develop chemistry. That is especially true for young players, though he seemed to take to Adam Thielen quickly last year.
There is no Adam Thielen this year, however—for the better, as far as talent goes. The chemistry component is another matter. One might reasonably presume that Aaron Rodgers and Michael Pittman Jr. will get along well enough. What about the rest of the group, though, including Germie Bernard? Even at the top of the food chain, Fittipaldo is not yet convinced.
“I would call his connection with DK [Metcalf] very average, and I think below average with Pat [Freiermuth]”, he said on the Steelers Collective podcast recently regarding Rodgers. “I think it is gonna be better with new schemes and new coaching and new ideas, but based off last year, I don’t know”.
In the end, he named Darnell Washington as the player he believes has the best rapport with Aaron Rodgers. An interesting choice to say the least, but how the Steelers use him this year will be something to watch. With the energy vampire, Jonnu Smith, no longer present, there are more tight-end targets to distribute.
How much the Steelers want to throw the ball, we can’t even say. My read is that if they find success on the ground, they’ll want to lean in on the run game. In the backfield are two sturdy runners in Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle. If they run the tires off that duo, maybe Kaleb Johnson can run behind an improved offensive line. Of course, an improved line should help Rodgers in the passing game, too.
When it comes to chemistry with Aaron Rodgers, Roman Wilson is the name that comes up most. Working with the second-year receiver a season ago, it was obvious that Rodgers felt Wilson was lacking in some areas. It’s no surprise that the Steelers ended up playing Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Thielen by year’s end.
Obviously, they can’t have another situation like that, at least not while expecting something of quality. We know Rodgers is a future Hall of Famer who has had excellent chemistry with many wide receivers over the years, from Donald Driver to Davante Adams. Logically, there’s no reason he can’t have that here.
Rodgers’ delayed signing last season didn’t help matters, first practicing with the team in training camp. This year, he was a full participant—or close enough—throughout the spring. But once again, there are prominent new faces. Despite Ray Fittipaldo’s pessimism, OTA reports indicated positive trends in his rapport with DK Metcalf and even Roman Wilson, for example. But until we see that inside stadiums, it doesn’t mean much.
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