When Aaron Rodgers first signed with the Steelers this offseason, and the quarterback arrived for minicamp, some of his teammates were a little hesitant to approach him before he approached them.

A few admitted they were starstruck, some slightly intimidated, some just not sure what to say.

After all, this is a four-time NFL MVP during his 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, who drafted him in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. A Super Bowl Champion. A future Hall of Famer.

And when it comes to stars in the NFL, there aren't many who are more of a household name than Rodgers.

As one player said with a smile, 'It's Aaron 'freaking' Rodgers.'

Those feelings and days quickly passed, though. Because what everyone realized rather quickly is he is simply Aaron, a teammate, one of the guys, a jokester, someone who can relate to everyone in the locker room, whether they are the top receiver or a practice squad linebacker.

"Even my eyes popped," said tight end Pat Freiermuth, whose locker is next to Rodgers. "He's one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game, if not the best. Everyone was just eager to learn from him. It's been such a great process.

"It's refreshing to have a guy like that. He's one of the guys. He doesn't think he's better than anyone else. He comes in every single day and does everything that is expected as a pro and it rubs off on a lot of people."

Nothing could be more accurate.

A quick walk around the Steelers locker room and you find evidence of it.

There isn't a player who hasn't picked up something from Rodgers' 21 years of experience in the NFL.

Rodgers doesn't shy away from that, wanting to pass along as much knowledge as he can in an effort to not just help the 2025 Steelers, but to help each individual in their growth as a player and a man.

It's not always what he says, but the fact that he is taking the time to share the information that touches some the most.

"I think when you're at the end (of your career), you realize this game is all about the relationships," said Rodgers. "They're not going to remember the things that you said, necessarily. But they'll remember how you made them feel. That's how I feel about the guys who were impactful to me when I was a young player. I just try and keep that in my mind and realize that we're all trying to do our best here, and sometimes it's a conversation that can change the course or trajectory of somebody's life. There were multiple times for me during my struggles as a young player, and my ups and downs riding the roller coaster of being a first, second year player, and you never know what you can say to that person to have an impact. Everything matters."

Receiver DK Metcalf, who shared a suite with Rodgers in the dorms at training camp, got close to his quarterback quickly with the tight quarters. They shared stories, laughs, getting to know a different side of each other.

But like others, Metcalf also sat back and learned.

"I'm still learning from him," said receiver DK Metcalf. "This game is precious. It's fun, so treat it as such. I'm always searching for feedback, especially from the guys that I look up to. Whenever he says something about a route, I am all ears, always listening. It's an open dialog, so I have to tell him what I am thinking as well, because he may not see something the way I see it. It's always just a steady line of communication.

"How I can describe Aaron Rodgers is he is a guy that loves football and is going to do everything in his power to try to win and get the upper hand on Sunday. So, he's always watching film. He's always going to try and throw you a tidbit or a nugget of information of what he sees out there on the field, what he thinks of your route. It's a lot of open-ended conversations to where things can go on until Sunday. Sunday is the time for us to cut it loose and let it loose."

"He is a great dude, a great teammate, and a great quarterback.

"And he's always joking. I mean, he is always joking."

When you see him at practice or on gameday, it is the serious side of Rodgers that is normally visible.

But, yes, there is that other side.

"He's extremely focused and locked in," said quarterbacks coach Tom Arth, who was a teammate of Rodgers in Green Bay during the 2006 offseason and preseason. "He's such a competitive player, but he has so much fun playing the game. And that's what I really enjoy about Aaron.

"He has fun. He loves playing this game. He plays the game like he's still 10 years old running around in the backyard.

"At the same time, he's got this ferocious competitive spirit that obviously helped push him to the heights that he's reached."

Football is a game. Rodgers knows that. But he is also uber competitive and it's a balancing act that isn't always easy.

"It's easier said than done because when you're a perfectionist, you want it to look a certain way and feel a certain way," said Rodgers. "I think over the years you learn that football and life are very similar. They imitate each other and there's an imperfect nature to both life and football that actually is the spice and beauty in it. It's in the flaws, frustrations and failures you can find some beautiful lessons in life and in football.

"There's also a lot of beauty in the mundane and the weekly grind that I just love. I love meetings. I love conversations. I love to practice, all the stuff that goes into it.

"I think that's why I'm still playing because I can handle the Monday to Saturday and just be free on Sundays."

A lot went into that decision to still be playing 21 years into his NFL career. Not many players have made it this far, including those who reached the type of level Rodgers has, with his name etched in the record books.

For him, though, it's not about the records or the next level.

It's about a lot more.

"This game is about the relationships," said Rodgers. "Three years in college, 21 years in the league, and in those 24 years, I've got a ton of lifelong friends I've made. The majority of what's special in my life is because of the game.

"And I love to compete. I grew up dreaming about being a quarterback taking his team on a drive in the Super Bowl. And that came from a direct incident where I watched (49ers quarterback) Joe Montana do it against the Bengals. That's what I always want to do.

"This game's given me a lot, and I love it. It's an imperfect profession and a tough business. But it's a wonderful job that I've gotten to do for so long."

When Rodgers signed a one-year contract with the Steelers in June, a part of his attraction to the Steelers was the relationship he built with Coach Mike Tomlin. The two talked in advance of his signing, but it wasn't about football.

They talked about life.

That was the beginning of an immense respect Rodgers has for Tomlin, and that respect has done nothing but grow.

"I have a ton of respect for him," said Rodgers. "I really enjoy the way he keeps a pulse on the team and understanding where guys are, when to challenge guys, when to pat them on the (behind). To get up there and lead every day and talk every day, and bring a fresh message, is really impressive.

"There's a lot of coach speak about keeping the main thing the main thing, and how to focus and discipline and all these catchphrases and cliches. But he actually embodies what a true players' coach is and that he's able to hold guys accountable. You're also able to have a personal relationship with him.

"It's an incredible fine balance that I think all leaders are trying to do. Me as an offensive leader trying to hold our guys accountable but having the relationship. For a head coach, who's got 70 players on the roster he's got to interact with and tap into and also hold them accountable has been really impressive."

One player Tomlin never has to worry about holding accountable is Rodgers.

While he brought a long list of accomplishments with him to the Steelers, he also brought a ridiculous work ethic. He is a football junkie, someone who loves the history of the game as much as he loves the present.

And his football smarts, they are hard to match.

"He pretty much knows what the defense is going to do before they do it," said Metcalf. "He's definitely going to give us the right look. He's going to find the right person."

Arth saw that when he was his teammate, but he sees it even more now with Rodgers.

"His football IQ is off the charts," said Arth. "What he's able to process and see on a play-by-play basis, between plays, it really is uncanny. There are not many players who have been able to do the things that he's done."

Rodgers credits that ability to the time when he was a backup to Brett Favre in Green Bay, waiting for his turn to do what he loves.

He used the time wisely, spending every minute he could studying film.

And it's paid off.

"I think it's from the first three years in the league, when I was a backup and I got to learn what it means to be a professional and to learn how to watch film," said Rodgers. "I had a lot of great people around me back then who helped me learn what it looks like. The game was different. The offseason was different back then. You had a lot more time in the offseason to work on your craft at the facility. We were spending multiple days, seven or eight hours in the offseason in March in Green Bay, where there's nothing to do because it's freezing outside.

"So, we learned the game. Me and the other quarterbacks, Tom Arth being one of them back in 2006, we learned the game, learned defenses, learned fronts, pressures and coverages. That was really helpful for me.

"Being able to process things, and then the ability to recall things in the moment, allows me to process things very quickly. It's given me my edge as my physical body has deteriorated, my mental capacity and football aptitude has increased, thankfully."

On Sunday night, as Rodgers takes the field in the Steelers throwback jerseys, it will be a bit of a throwback for him as well.

He is playing against the Packers, the team he spent 18 seasons with. It's the team he led to a Super Bowl XLV championship and embedded himself as a future Hall of Famer during his time there.

"It will be special because I have a lot of love and affection for that organization and the fan base," said Rodgers. "I spent an adult life there, 18 years in the same city. I grew up from a 21-year-old kid that could barely grow hair on his chin to becoming the franchise record holder in a lot of areas and being a part of some special teams and living in a special area.

"The crazy thing about the game, and what gives perspective, is that there's not many people left there that I played with. Most of the people that I resonate with are the men and women in the training room, the boys in the equipment room, Adam (Korzun), the nutritionist and his staff.

"But even a lot of the coaches are different. There's a few that were there when I was, (Adam) Stenavich, (Luke) Butkus, and obviously Matt (LaFleur). But player wise, most of the guys that I played with are gone. And that's the beauty in the league. And the humbling thing is that when you're done, whether done with organization and moved on, or just done, the game keeps going.

"You can be a part of the history of the game and do right by the game, or not. But either way, the game is going to keep on going long after you're done playing. It's been around. I loved my time with the Packers. But they were around long before I was born, and they'll keep going long after I'm done. And that waiting list of thousands of people is going to keep on going. It's a special organization with a great fan base.

"Which is why it's been fun here in Pittsburgh because so much of this fan base and this organization reminds me of some of the great things about Green Bay."

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