Aaron Rodgers has been quite the character through his two decades in the NFL. For better or worse, Rodgers is one of the more polarizing figures in the entire league, and now he’s in Pittsburgh. Speaking on The Pivot Podcast in an episode posted Tuesday, Rodgers’ old teammate Davante Adams pushed back on some of the criticism Rodgers has received. Adams was asked which three players he’ll be rooting for in 2025, and Rodgers was the second one he mentioned.
“That’s a good one,” Adams said. “I think Aaron, just similar to me, like a little bit of a media storm that kinda discounted a lot of what we did. And I think that’s real unfair. Just based off of who he is, at the end of the day. Me seeing some of the comparisons between like, is it him or this dude, and I’m like, are ya’ll serious right now? I can’t stand no more of that.”
If anybody knows Rodgers well, it would be Adams. The two spent many years together with the Green Bay Packers, where they developed into one of the best passing tandems in the league. They were apart for a while when Adams moved to the Las Vegas Raiders, but they reunited with the New York Jets in 2024. Coincidentally, the first game they played together last year was their loss to Pittsburgh in Week 7.
Adams has confidence in Aaron Rodgers, stating a similar sentiment earlier this offseason. His opinion on the veteran should carry weight, as Rodgers finally started to return to form in the second half of the season with Adams there. During the final 10 games, Rodgers threw 18 touchdowns and just four interceptions, finally starting to look like himself again.
Adams mentions the negative connotations surrounding Rodgers, which mostly come from the national media. In Pittsburgh, things are quite different. Rodgers has come to town showing an authentic, calm, non-controversial version of himself. Since arriving in Pittsburgh, his teammates and coaching staff have had nothing but positive things to say.
Of course, there’s still a long way to go. But Rodgers seems to be settling into Pittsburgh much differently than he did in New York. Perhaps it’s because his role is much smaller, and he can step into a building with good leadership in place, instead of having to do it all himself. We’ll have to see how the team handles the eventual bumps in the road. But for now, Pittsburgh is optimistic about the way Rodgers is acting.
Adams is nearing the tail end of his career, and Aaron Rodgers may be writing his final chapter. Both Adams and the Steelers hope it’s a good one.
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