With Aaron Rodgers an official member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, there is no doubt that there are high expectations for the new relationship as the team prepares for the upcoming season. As there is disussion if Rodgers can save the Steelers and take them over the hump, the veteran quarterback speaks about the initial relationship with head coach Mike Tomlin.

According to ESPN, the way Rodgers started minicamp was Tomlin's idea of the former New York Jet not taking a full workload from the get-go, despite the obvious expectation of him being the starting quarterback. For Rodgers, there is no problem with Tomlin's plan, as he revealed what he told the head coach about the path.

“A lot of this stuff is stuff I've done before, but there's new terms and new types of motion words and different stuff,” Rodgers said. “I'm learning. I'm going to go through the individual stuff. I told Mike, if he wants me to practice, I'll practice, but I think he said he just wants me to stick to the individual [work] until I've got the offense down.”

He reportedly went “fourth” in regards to individual drills with other signal-callers on the team, like Mason Rudolph, Skylar Thompson, and Will Howard, having been on the team longer. If anything, Rodgers only wants to help his new teammates.

“I just want to be a servant leader here,” Rodgers said, “and just pass on the knowledge that I have for 20 years, the experience, and just try and fit in with the guys, get to know 'em, let them get to know me and just enjoy the process.”

Aaron Rodgers didn't want to “shortchange” the Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) drops back to pass during minicamp at their South Side facility.
© Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images
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While people debate if Rodgers is an upgrade for the Steelers over some players, such as Russell Wilson from last season, there's np denying that he brings winning experience. However, some were taken aback by the waiting process that Rodgers took in getting an answer back to Tomlin and Pittsburgh, but he would speak on the contact between the 70 days, where a decision hadn't been made.

“The rapport that fell in between me and Mike made it to where, as I was going through my personal stuff, there wasn't any other option for me,” Rodgers said. “It was here or not play.”

Coming from Rodgers' mouth, he was dealing with personal matters that had to be handled before committing himself to a full schedule with an NFL team. This was his motivation in holding off for a significant amount of time, as Rodgers said the last thing he wanted to do was “shortchange” the team.

“I didn't want to shortchange the guys and sign but be elsewhere mentally or physically,” Rodgers said. “Until I could be here and be all-in, I needed to take care of my business.”

At any rate, Pittsburgh is looking to improve under Rodgers after a 10-7 season, which put them second in the AFC North. Funny enough, the team opens the new season against Rodgers' former team in New York on Sunday, Sept. 7.