Aaron Rodgers is in his first (and possibly only) season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 21-year NFL veteran also didn’t take any snaps during the preseason.
However, those considerations didn’t matter to his teammates. Rodgers was selected as one of the team’s four captains, who were announced on Monday. Also getting the nod are edge rusher T.J. Watt, safety Miles Killebrew and defensive tackle Cameron Heyward.
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Notably, Rodgers is the only offensive player to be named a captain going into a season with a new-look offense including receiver DK Metcalf, rookie running back Kaleb Johnson and backup QBs Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson.
Rodgers, 41, signed a one-year, $13.65 million deal with the Steelers in June, including $10 million in guaranteed money. Though the consensus throughout the NFL was that he would sign with Pittsburgh, despite reported interest from the Minnesota Vikings, Rodgers contemplated retirement during the offseason in addition to getting married.
In 2024 with the Jets, Rodgers threw for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 63 percent of his passes. His first season in New York ended after rupturing his left Achilles tendon four snaps into the Week 1 opener.
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The veteran quarterback was selected as a team captain 12 times during his 18 years with the Green Bay Packers and in both of his seasons with the New York Jets, according to the Steelers’ official website.
For Watt, it’s the fifth time his teammates have picked him as a captain in his nine seasons with Pittsburgh. Killebrew is a special teams captain for the fourth time in his Steelers career.
Heyward was picked as a team captain for the 11th consecutive season with the Steelers, demonstrating that he had the full support of his teammates during his hold-in as he attempted to renegotiate his contract for 2025. Prior to the 2024 campaign, the Steelers asked him to take a $3.4 million pay cut.
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Last season, he started all 17 games for the Steelers and tallied eight sacks, the fourth-highest total of his career. Overall, Heyward registered 71 tackles, 20 quarterback hits and 17 tackles for loss. He also had 11 passes defended — as a defensive tackle.