Just days before the start of mandatory minicamp, Aaron Rodgers officially joined the Pittsburgh Steelers, signing a one-year deal worth $13.65 million. The move sets up a high-stakes season for a franchise looking to extend one of the NFL’s most impressive streaks while breaking from one of its worst.
Rodgers will be at the center of Pittsburgh’s hopes, but questions remain after a disappointing stint with the Jets. And according to one former two-time Super Bowl champion, the biggest concern might not be Rodgers’ health or arm talent. It could be how well he clicks with his new top target, DK Metcalf.
Can Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf Co-Exist on Pittsburgh Steelers Roster?
Since entering the league as a second-round pick in 2019, Metcalf has become one of the most productive wide receivers of the decade. He has topped 900 receiving yards every season and surpassed the 1,000-yard mark three times, with durability being one of his most valuable traits.
Metcalf has never played fewer than 15 games in a season and has appeared in all of his team’s games four times. Looking to upgrade an offense that ranked 25th in PFSN’s Offense+ metric, the Steelers traded for the former Seahawks star to jumpstart their attack.
However, two-time Super Bowl champion Chris Long is unsure about Metcalf’s fit alongside Rodgers. During an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show,” the 2018 Walter Payton Man of the Year award winner laid out his concerns.
“Now you talk about being on the same page and all that,” Long said before referencing the issues Rodgers had during his time with the New York Jets. “I don’t love seeing stuff that should be worked out in the locker room worked out on podcasts.”
Long, of course, is referring to the recurring appearances by the four-time MVP on “The Pat McAfee Show,” where Rodgers publicly aired grievances with teammates. He even referenced the infamous Mike Williams situation, where Rodgers blamed the wide receiver for running the wrong route on a game-losing interception.
That, to Long, was worrying.
“Metcalf has not always been the most surgical route runner,” he said. “If we end up in a situation where somebody’s not on the right side of the red line, I could see some stuff like that happening, and the growing pains being tough.”
Rodgers’ time in New York ended quietly this spring after a chaotic run that never lived up to the hype, prompting owner Woody Johnson to pivot in a new direction. For Long, the concern now shifts to Pittsburgh.
With Rodgers’ rocky exits from Green Bay and New York still fresh, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin will have to manage not just expectations, but egos. If chemistry with Metcalf doesn’t come quickly, Pittsburgh could face more than just growing pains.