As if the Pittsburgh Steelers needed another reason to dislike Myles Garrett, they have one now. During a Tuesday media session at the Cleveland Browns' mandatory minicamp, Garrett was asked about Aaron Rodgers joining the Pittsburgh Steelers... and let's just say, we can expect the chipiness between these two organizations to increase this year.
One Browns beat reporter asked Garrett his thoughts on Rodgers coming to the AFC North, but the All-Pro's response isn't going to sit well with the Steelers.
"What do I think about it?" Garrett said, per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. "I think it's a good opportunity to put him in the graveyard."
I don't care who you are. Those are fighting words.
Myles Garrett just helped Aaron Rodgers unite with his Pittsburgh Steelers teammates faster than anyone expected
When Garett said this, Aaron Rodgers was in the middle of his first mandatory minicamp session with the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is the first time he's interacted with most of his new teammates, and the 41-year-old quarterback is still trying to learn everyone's name.
But despite all of his quirks, his recent arrival, and his lack of chemistry with his teammates, every Steelers player was just given all the fuel in the world to rally behind their quarterback.
Garrett's strong words for Rodgers should have Pat Meyer and the offensive line itching at the opportunity to put Garrett in his place. This won't come easily.
Garrett was the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year for a reason, and he finished as a DPOY finalist in 2024. Despite the lack of experience from Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu, Pittsburgh's young first-round offensive tackles aren't going to forget what Garrett had to say about the quarterback they are getting paid to protect.
Tight end Darnell Washington will be among the cluster of Steelers who will attempt to silence Garrett when Pittsburgh faces Cleveland twice this year. The 6'7'', 280-something-pound tight end lives to stonewall edge rushers—essentially acting as a third offensive tackle. You can bet that he'll frequently chip on Garrett's side when the Steelers and Browns square up in the regular season.
But it's not just the offensive line that will be fired up for this contest. The Browns just poked the bear. Aaron Rodgers isn't the same player we saw with the Packers back in 2021, but he's a four-time MVP and future first-ballot Hall of Famer for a reason. He's more than capable of mustering up a few lethal performances, if for no other reason than to simply make a point.
Oh, and don't think this team forgot about what Garrett did to Mason Rudolph in 2019.
It's going to take some time for Aaron Rodgers to gel with his new teammates, but the Pittsburgh Steelers were just given every reason to rally around their new quarterback this season. Thanks, Myles Garrett!
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