Mike Tomlin Reveals Reason He Believed in Steelers' Decision to Sign Aaron Rodgers

After Russell Wilson and Justin Fields signed elsewhere this offseason, the Steelers found themselves in need of a starting quarterback once again. Though Aaron Rodgers did not sign with Pittsburgh until June, his conversations with coach Mike Tomlin during the spring gave the team the confidence to not only wait for him, but pass on a drafting a quarterback early and instead wait to take Will Howard in the sixth round.

For Tomlin, it wasn't Rodgers's résumé or his long list of accolades that stood out, but his goal to win as he enters what is likely his final NFL season.

"His 'why.' This dude's been doing it 21 years. Four-time MVP, all of that stuff. I just wanted to know why. Why does the fire still burn? What is his agenda? Those are some of the conversations we had in the spring," Tomlin said on The Pivot Podcast. "And I just got real comfortable with his 'why.' All he wants to do is win, all he wants to do is have fun within the game. He wanted to be a component of the process and development for young players.

“And you’re right… I knew something”

The @steelers didn’t draft a QB earlier in this year’s draft because Mike T knew Aaron Rodgers was on the way. During that time he found out Rodgers’ why, & it made him extremely comfortable with the 4 time MVP. He knew exactly what Rodgers… pic.twitter.com/LXagHwfQDp
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) August 10, 2025

"Everything that we talked about through our conversations in the spring, I'm watching him live out right now in this training camp session," Tomlin added. "I believed it when he said it, but it's fun to watch it play out."

Tomlin and Rodgers find themselves in a somewhat similar spot heading into the 2025 season. Both have had successful careers, but neither has won a Super Bowl in well over a decade. Tomlin is facing increasing pressure to win because the Steelers have not won a playoff game since '16, while this season might be Rodgers's last chance to win a second title.

The AFC (and AFC North) is of course stacked with a number of contenders looking to advance to the Super Bowl. The Steelers have consistently been in the playoff race, but they're hoping the relationship between Tomlin and Rodgers can finally lift them back into Super Bowl contention this season.