Steelers teammates explain why they voted 'best friend' Aaron Rodgers as team captain

After months of positive reviews, it's fitting that Aaron Rodgers' first (and last?) summer as the Steelers' starting quarterback essentially ended with him being named as a team captain. Rodgers, who will be a captain this season for the 15th time in his career, will share that title this season with teammates T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward and Miles Killebrew. 

Rodgers being named a team captain isn't terribly surprising, given that each of Pittsburgh's previous three starting quarterbacks during the post-Ben Roethlisberger era were also given that title by their teammates. That being said, the reasons behind Rodgers' being named a captain were notable nonetheless. It appears that Rodgers' captaincy is less about his title or past and more about what he has given the team since singing with Pittsburgh. 

"The pen was writing Aaron before I could even think what I was gonna write," said Jaylen Warren, who on Labor Day became the first Steelers running back in 19 years to receive a contract extension. "Just very transparent. He's got a lot of character, too. He's a coach and a best friend all in one. You couldn't ask for more from a quarterback." 

Rodgers' instant impact on Pittsburgh's offense has been well-documented. The impact he is making on Pittsburgh's defense, however, shouldn't be overlooked. 

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"The no looks are starting to piss me off a little bit," linebacker Patrick Queen recently joked on Heyward's podcast. "He's just smart. He's calling out our plays. He's talking about our play as he's doing the play calls for the line, for the wide receivers. It's just a whole bunch of stuff that goes on. He's gonna test your drops, your man coverage. The guy's been doing this for a long time. He's got high IQ, so when you go against somebody else who is not as experienced as him, I think it's gonna pay off for." 

It's easy to forget that many were initially skeptical about Rodgers coming to Pittsburgh. Among the early skeptics was Steelers starting strong safety DeShon Elliott. Elliott, though, has changed his tune regarding Rodgers based on what his experience has been like so far with the 41-year-old quarterback. 

"He's proven me wrong fully," Elliott said on Heyward's pod. "Great person, great football player. Now everyone knows he's a football player. You know, he's Hall of Fame player, but the way he's made it easy for everybody to welcome him with open arms when he walked into the building."

Elliott specifically pointed to something Rodgers did shortly after joining the Steelers. Before Pittsburgh's first minicamp practice, Rodgers felt compelled to speak to his new teammates. His speech that day clearly had its desired impact. 

"We had that meeting, and he was like, 'Hey, bro, I understand I was probably a distraction at the time, but I'm here. I'm locked in with you guys,'" Elliott recalled Rodgers telling the team. "I appreciate him for doing that, and I could just tell like he's very himself. And I appreciate somebody who's always gonna be himself. 

"I respect him as a man. We talk all the time. I'm excited to see what he does for us. I've never seen somebody manipulate a defense the way he manipulates a defense, like the look offs, the ball placement, the cadence. He's different. He's making us better. I know for a fact we're gonna be a better defense because of him."