In late March, the Pittsburgh Steelers got a sign that QB Aaron Rodgers, who agreed to terms with the team on Thursday, might be coming to Pittsburgh when he threw with Steelers WR DK Metcalf at UCLA. [According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport](https://www.nfl.com/network/shows/good-morning-football), Metcalf and Rodgers connected and have “begun to build a rapport.”
“Rodgers and DK Metcalf had a somewhat secret throwing session…those two have begun to build a rapport,” Rapoport said on Good Morning Football on Friday.
Rapoport added that the initial throwing session between the two was an “excellent sign” that Rodgers was ultimately going to sign with the Steelers.
“To me, that was always a really good sign that this thing was happening, when Rodgers and Metcalf first started throwing, like, alright, both those guys are not dummies, they know what’s about to happen. They want to start that process. That was an excellent sign for the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
Metcalf is going to be Rodgers’ No. 1 receiver this year, and the two working together and getting on the same page early is important for the success of the offense. Both of them are new to the Steelers and new to the offense, but their work together should help things come more seamlessly when they hit the field together as teammates for the first time.
While Metcalf wasn’t a participant at voluntary OTAs, Rapoport said he expects that he’ll show up for mandatory minicamp. That’s not surprising given that he would get fined if he missed, and players usually don’t just skip mandatory minicamp for any reason. It’ll be the first look at both him and Rodgers on the field together as members of the Steelers, as Rodgers reportedly told the team that he’ll report to minicamp next week.
That will give him a chance to work with and get acclimated with his teammates and some of the other pass catchers he hasn’t worked with yet. Metcalf is going to be Pittsburgh’s clear No. 1 option, but he can’t do it alone, and Rodgers being able to throw with the likes of Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson ahead of training camp and start developing a rapport with them as well is important for the Steelers.
A good relationship between a No. 1 receiver and the starting quarterback is important, and Rodgers [spoke highly of Metcalf](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/04/aaron-rodgers-reveals-details-of-throwing-session-with-dk-metcalf/) as a player and a person during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show in April.
“I’ve wanted to do due diligence with this whole process, and part of it is talking to a guy like DK. And let me just say this: What a great dude. What a great dude. He loves football, and I mean, what a specimen this guy is,” Rodgers said.
On Tuesday, the two will have a chance to link up at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex instead of the campus of UCLA, and it will be a fun sight to see for Steelers fans.