Steelers backup QB shares his true feelings on Aaron Rodgers: 'He gets misinterpreted a lot'

It hasn't taken long for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to earn the respect of his new teammates and coach Mike Tomlin. The four-time MVP signed in June to be the starter for the 2025 season is coming off a rocky two-year stretch with the New York Jets and says his decision to play for the Steelers was not ego-driven like many of his previous career choices.

Skylar Thompson, No. 3 on Pittsburgh's depth chart behind Mason Rudolph with rookie Will Howard dealing with a hand injury, says Rodgers has been a model teammate and non-confrontational from the times the pair have shared together in the quarterback room.

"I think he gets misinterpreted a lot because people judge a book by its cover and don't really know him," Thompson told Newsweek. "I'm not claiming that I really know him, but just being around him on a daily basis, he's a good dude, cares about his teammates, holds people accountable. There's a real desire for greatness that he expects all the time, and that's been a great perspective for me. 

"He comes out here every day with a smile on his face. Whatever music is playing, you see him singing sometimes. Sometimes, you see him playing the air guitar. You can just tell he's in his safe place. He's just himself every single day. When we're off the field, he loves being around the guys. He's not too big for anyone. That's really cool because not everybody's like that, and he wants to be like everybody else. Just a really good dude."

Rodgers blamed last season's offensive struggles with the Jets on a failing, "abysmal" run game and previously sounded off on a messy exit from the franchise leading to his contract with the Steelers.

Given his career pedigree as a former Super Bowl champion and one of the NFL's greatest all-time quarterbacks playing out what sounds like his final season with the Steelers, Rodgers could've made the situation less-than-ideal for those around him at the position.

He knows there's no looking over his shoulder at a possible replacement and it's not a necessity to make friends with anyone at the position, especially Thompson, a former seventh-round selection and depth-chart fill-in for the Steelers as an offseason signing from the Dolphins.

However, any pre-conceived notions of who Rodgers was off the field leading into this season with the Steelers have been cleared up by his quarterback teammates. Rudolph recalled earlier this offseason his first meeting with Rodgers after a game against the Green Bay Packers previously in his career, saying the All-Pro "went out of his way" to exchange pleasantries. 

Howard said in June he's relishing the opportunity to be mentored by a "legend" under center. And like Thompson, gave Rodgers a glowing review as a teammate.