It’s been called a marriage of convenience in the past, and there have been plenty of questions regarding how a 41-year-old quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, and a 19-year head coach in Mike Tomlin will mesh on a defense-driven team and culture.
But that duo now has a new moniker: the perfect marriage.
That’s how former NFL kicker Jay Feely sees things. Appearing on TV Friday night, Feely spoke highly of not only Rodgers, but Tomlin, believing that the pairing for the Steelers will be a good one, both on the field and in the locker room.
“I do think that this marriage between him [Aaron Rodgers] and Mike Tomlin is the perfect marriage because Aaron just wants to go out and play quarterback,” Feely said of the Steelers’ head coach-quarterback combination, according to video via Feely’s X account. “Mike Tomlin is the ultimate leader in developing culture within a locker room. So, I think they fit really well together. If Aaron’s healthy and he can play like he did, it could be a perfect match.
“The Steelers have been waiting for a quarterback and it’ll be fun to see what happens because Aaron Rodgers, he, number one, he gets people watching because he is such an interesting guy.”
The marriage between Aaron Rodgers and Mike Tomlin could be a perfect football marriage. Coach Tomlin is the ultimate leader in developing locker room culture, and Aaron just wants to go out and play. If healthy the @steelers might have finally found their quarterback! pic.twitter.com/rw7peBAzNs
— Jay Feely (@jayfeely) August 16, 2025
Though the Steelers are going to be led by a star-studded defense, one that Tomlin believes could be historic, it helps to have an accomplished quarterback like Rodgers on the other side leading the offense.
Since joining the Steelers in early June after many months of speculation regarding his future, Rodgers has jumped head-first into a leadership role with Pittsburgh, ingratiating himself into the culture and the makeup of the team. He has a strong relationship with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, has the respect of his teammates due to his work ethic and leadership style, and meshes very well with Tomlin.
Prior to signing with the Steelers, Rodgers had great respect for Tomlin. Then, with the way Tomlin treated Rodgers throughout the free agency process led to the future Hall of Fame quarterback ultimately deciding to signing with the Steelers.
So far, the two have a strong working relationship, and the offense is starting to come around after a slow start to training camp. Rodgers might not be what he once was, but he’s a good fit for the Steelers as currently constructed. He can execute the offense at a strong level, won’t turn the football over, and will make sure the Steelers are in the right situation offensively pre-snap.
He needs to bounce back from a rough 2024 season with the New York Jets and finish his career in strong fashion. He’s in a good situation with the Black and Gold, and has strong coaching around him led by Tomlin. That makes for a strong pairing moving forward and could lead to a lot of wins for the Steelers.
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