Aaron Rodgers may have landed a $13 million contract and declared Pittsburgh fans “unbelievable,” but the question still looms even after he said, “The history of this great area built the structure of the country. So, a lot of great people here. Great fan base.” Does the feeling go both ways? As the legendary veteran steps into a city known for its loyalty and intensity, the responses have been as mixed as ketchup on a Primanti Bros. sandwich.
The buzz began the moment Rodgers landed in the Steel City. From radio chatter to barbershop debates, his arrival set off a wave of intrigue not just about what he can still do on the field, but how Pittsburgh, a town with little love for outsiders, would take to one of the NFL’s most polarizing stars. Within days, his presence lit up the Strip District, especially on merchandise racks. But fans are mostly sticking to $12 T-shirts rather than shelling out $120 for replica jerseys.
Rodgers’ face is now plastered across Strip District storefronts. His No. 8 shirts are flying off shelves, mostly in the form of low-priced tees. “Some people are like, ‘I want a shirt just so I can burn it,’” said Danielle Dudas of Strip District Tees. This strange mix of mockery and mania has triggered the weirdest product boom in years. But don’t mistake the sales for sentiment. The Rodgers effect is real, but it’s not just about football. It’s about the drama and theater that the sport drags along with it.
And the drama hasn’t been limited to T-shirts. Moreover, A-Rod has been making the headlines for more controversial reasons recently. During the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament, he had a couple of viral moments that stirred the pot before he’d even thrown a pass in black and gold. In one clip, a young fan yelled out that Rodgers almost hit him with a stray shot. Rodgers didn’t blink; he just smirked and fired back, “Almost doesn’t count,” as he walked to the next tee box without missing a step. It was a cold moment that revealed plenty about the quarterback Pittsburgh just inherited.
Yikes: New Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers almost hit a kid with his golf club and roasts him instead of apologizing:
Kid: “You almost hit me, Aaron Rodgers.”
Rodgers: “Almost doesn’t count.”
He couldn’t care less… pic.twitter.com/YBteEV28HO
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) July 13, 2025
It wasn’t his only viral moment from the event. In a separate exchange, Rodgers was approached by a fan holding a ticket stub from his 2005 Packers debut and asking for an autograph. Rodgers fired off trivia questions about that game, including who caught his only pass (fullback Vonta Leach). When the fan came up empty, Rodgers called him an “autograph hound” and refused to sign. The clip went viral, with fans split down the middle; some saw it as a stand against insincerity, while others labeled it petty and confrontational.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, known for commanding locker room unity, has kept things buttoned up around Rodgers’ fiery persona. But insiders know: if Rodgers doesn’t back the noise with wins, Pittsburgh’s patience won’t last long. He’s no longer in Green Bay or New York, as this is a city that booed Terry Bradshaw. But while Rodgers commands the spotlight, there’s another quarterback quietly earning his stripes behind the scenes.
Rodgers promises experience, but Howard could be the Steelers’ real long-term bet
While Rodgers commands headlines, a quiet subplot is developing behind him that might just shape Pittsburgh’s post-Rodgers era. Enter Will Howard, the sixth-round rookie with a rocket arm and a Big Ten title under his belt. Howard’s name barely rang out during the NFL Draft, but his tape speaks volumes. A season at Ohio State with 4,000 yards and 35 touchdowns after moving from Kansas State? That’s not nothing. The Steelers didn’t just happen to find him. They met him at the Combine, hosted a top-30 visit, and gave him a serious look before grabbing him at No. 185 overall.
“He’s been so awesome to me so far,” Howard said of Rodgers on the Chipped Ham & Football podcast. “As much or as little as I want, he’s there.” It’s a mentorship dynamic that could quietly pay off in ways the Steelers aren’t even banking on. Howard has time to cook without being thrown to the wolves because Rodgers and Mason Rudolph are ahead of him.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Pittsburgh Steelers Minicamp Jun 10, 2025 Pittsburgh, PA, USA Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers 8 puts on his helmet during minicamp at their South Side facility. Pittsburgh Acrisure Stadium PA USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xPhilipxG.xPavelyx 20250610_szo_pa4_0114
The Steelers know the odds. Most Day 3 quarterbacks don’t pan out. But this one is in a rare developmental cocoon: a stable franchise, a Hall of Fame mentor, and no pressure to perform right away. But it might be what Pittsburgh needs when the Rodgers era comes to a close, no matter how loud or short-lived it is.
As fans line up for tees they may never wear and Aaron Rodgers drops heat before even donning the black and gold in-game, there’s a quiet calm behind it all. Will Howard isn’t Pittsburgh’s quarterback of today. But he might just be the one they didn’t know they’d need tomorrow.
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