As we watched Ben Roethlisberger age, what stood out most in that capacity was the diminished arm strength. Partly because of the elbow injury in 2019, I'm sure, but also partly because ... you know, he was approaching 40.
As we've watched other great quarterbacks age, maybe with the most prominent local memory being that of a noodle-armed Peyton Manning prevailing in that playoff game out in Denver, it's almost always been, first and foremost, about the arm.
My friends, whatever it is that'll eventually end Aaron Rodgers' football life, it won't be that.
It's not just that he can still heave it, although he can. It's not just that he can still zip it, although he can. Rather's about the relative ease with which he does ... well, all of it.
This second practice of the Steelers' training camp Friday here at Saint Vincent College saw all 41 of Rodgers' years and all 21 of his NFL seasons wholly disregarded on a single seven-shots drill in which he deftly delivered short-range touchdown passes to DK Metcalf and Pat Freiermuth, the first of those having been probably the prettiest placement I've seen on Chuck Noll Field in half a decade. And a little later, on a drill from the theoretical Pittsburgh 40, Rodgers found Calvin Austin breaking free down the right sideline off a double move with just the right touch.
And no, these aren't to be taken too seriously as results. Not anymore than the first-try pick the previous day. But the arm is the arm is the arm, and that arm's very much there.
• To be clearer, a great NFL arm isn't always a boomer of an arm. Mason Rudolph's a fine example, in that he's been heaving since childhood and, again on this day, put up the deepest of deep balls, intended for Lance McCutcheon more than 60 yards away but sharply swatted away by Brandin Echols. And yet, it'd taken Rudolph several years to soften that trajectory when needed, to hit 'em high or low when needed, to move at the receiver's pace rather than the quarterback's.
Rodgers has all of that. Still.
Doesn't mean he's still that giant from the Green Bay days. He's lost a fair amount from the legs, which is partly why he's had to push the ball out as quickly as he now does. (Those two goal-line touchdowns might've totaled a release time of 2.5 seconds.) But he's equipped with what counts most.
• I've got no business overlooking Metcalf's razor-sharp route on his touchdown, mostly because it's been his norm through a couple days. This wasn't a strength in Seattle, but there's no crime against becoming better in one's late 20s.
Check out this shot of the play:
ALYSA RUBIN / STEELERS
That's Darius Slay, among the NFL's premier coverage men, and he didn't exactly botch this assignment. But the combination of Metcalf's last break to the left and Rodgers' pass flat-out beat him.
• I'm not about to denigrate, or even downplay, Will Howard's future. He's so young, he's succeeded at the highest level of college, and his drive and ambition are worn on his sleeve. But the very early goings here, from this perspective, strongly support the Steelers' stance that he'll take time. Most visible: He's not throwing with NFL velocity. At all.
Oh, he can throw with NFL velocity. Don't misunderstand, please. But he's still simply placing the ball on almost all his throws, which is how it tends to go in college. He'll learn.
• Loved what Rudolph told me about Howard's chance to learn from Rodgers: "It's great for Will, no question. And I can learn, too. Aaron's been great. Communicating all the time. Sharing what he knows. Showing us stuff. I feel like he can make me a better quarterback, and I'm here for that."
A little different than what Kenny Pickett had to say about watching Rudolph win games, huh?
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THE ASYLUM
Dejan Kovacevic
2:19 am - 07.26.2025Latrobe, Pa.DK: Rodgers vs. the arms test
As we watched Ben Roethlisberger age, what stood out most in that capacity was the diminished arm strength. Partly because of the elbow injury in 2019, I'm sure, but also partly because ... you know, he was approaching 40.
As we've watched other great quarterbacks age, maybe with the most prominent local memory being that of a noodle-armed Peyton Manning prevailing in that playoff game out in Denver, it's almost always been, first and foremost, about the arm.
My friends, whatever it is that'll eventually end Aaron Rodgers' football life, it won't be that.
It's not just that he can still heave it, although he can. It's not just that he can still zip it, although he can. Rather's about the relative ease with which he does ... well, all of it.
This second practice of the Steelers' training camp Friday here at Saint Vincent College saw all 41 of Rodgers' years and all 21 of his NFL seasons wholly disregarded on a single seven-shots drill in which he deftly delivered short-range touchdown passes to DK Metcalf and Pat Freiermuth, the first of those having been probably the prettiest placement I've seen on Chuck Noll Field in half a decade. And a little later, on a drill from the theoretical Pittsburgh 40, Rodgers found Calvin Austin breaking free down the right sideline off a double move with just the right touch.
And no, these aren't to be taken too seriously as results. Not anymore than the first-try pick the previous day. But the arm is the arm is the arm, and that arm's very much there.
• To be clearer, a great NFL arm isn't always a boomer of an arm. Mason Rudolph's a fine example, in that he's been heaving since childhood and, again on this day, put up the deepest of deep balls, intended for Lance McCutcheon more than 60 yards away but sharply swatted away by Brandin Echols. And yet, it'd taken Rudolph several years to soften that trajectory when needed, to hit 'em high or low when needed, to move at the receiver's pace rather than the quarterback's.
Rodgers has all of that. Still.
Doesn't mean he's still that giant from the Green Bay days. He's lost a fair amount from the legs, which is partly why he's had to push the ball out as quickly as he now does. (Those two goal-line touchdowns might've totaled a release time of 2.5 seconds.) But he's equipped with what counts most.
• I've got no business overlooking Metcalf's razor-sharp route on his touchdown, mostly because it's been his norm through a couple days. This wasn't a strength in Seattle, but there's no crime against becoming better in one's late 20s.
Check out this shot of the play:
ALYSA RUBIN / STEELERS
That's Darius Slay, among the NFL's premier coverage men, and he didn't exactly botch this assignment. But the combination of Metcalf's last break to the left and Rodgers' pass flat-out beat him.
• I'm not about to denigrate, or even downplay, Will Howard's future. He's so young, he's succeeded at the highest level of college, and his drive and ambition are worn on his sleeve. But the very early goings here, from this perspective, strongly support the Steelers' stance that he'll take time. Most visible: He's not throwing with NFL velocity. At all.
Oh, he can throw with NFL velocity. Don't misunderstand, please. But he's still simply placing the ball on almost all his throws, which is how it tends to go in college. He'll learn.
• Loved what Rudolph told me about Howard's chance to learn from Rodgers: "It's great for Will, no question. And I can learn, too. Aaron's been great. Communicating all the time. Sharing what he knows. Showing us stuff. I feel like he can make me a better quarterback, and I'm here for that."
A little different than what Kenny Pickett had to say about watching Rudolph win games, huh?
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
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