While Russell Wilson has joined a new team, Aaron Rodgers is still a free agent. It feels like he will join the Pittsburgh Steelers, but that’s not guaranteed. There are a lot of questions about Rodgers’ fit with the Steelers as well. Many analysts have wondered if Rodgers can fit with the Steelers’ culture. However, former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman believes Mike Tomlin will make sure Rodgers fits in Pittsburgh.
“I do think he fits the Steelers’ culture because I believe in Mike Tomlin and the professional that he is as a head coach and how he communicates with players that he can make it work with Aaron Rodgers,” Edelman said Wednesday on FS1’s The Herd. “We didn’t hear anything about Antonio Brown until he left the Steelers.
“That is a magic power by Mike Tomlin, who kept all that noise in the building. If there’s any place for Aaron Rodgers to probably be okay with how he handles football, I think Mike Tomlin would be a great guy for that.”
It’s true that Tomlin has dealt with big personalities before. Brown is probably the biggest example. With the Steelers, he was one of the best players in the NFL. Outside of Pittsburgh, he’s been nothing short of a complete mess. Tomlin deserves credit for being able to get so much out of Brown.
Maybe he can do something similar with Rodgers. The situations aren’t too similar, with Rodgers being past his prime and not nearly as big of a headache as Brown. However, he’s still a controversial figure. Tomlin has been able to work with players like that before, though.
It’s also interesting to consider if Rodgers fits the Steelers’ culture. First, it’s probably best to try to nail down what their culture even is. It’s probably best described as tough, hard-nosed, and gritty. The Steelers aren’t afraid to do things the hard way, for better or worse. Their ultimate goal is to win a Super Bowl, and they don’t seem to mind if the road to get there is rocky.
Rodgers has been on a team like that before. The Green Bay Packers have even more history than the Steelers, and Rodgers was at his best there for over a decade. They also had great continuity at head coach, only having Mike McCarthy and Matt LeFleur in that position during Rodgers’ tenure as their starter.
He reportedly wants to join a team with a culture like the Packers. The Steelers should fit that. With Tomlin, Rodgers should have a chance to be competitive in an organization with some structure. While the Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season, they have remained competitive. Rodgers could help them get over that hump in the postseason.
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