Adam Thielen’s praise of Aaron Rodgers spotlights the Steelers’ quarterback comfort in Year 2

Pittsburgh’s receiving room may look different now that Adam Thielen has officially retired, but the way Aaron Rodgers operates around wideouts has become a story worth repeating. Thielen, a recently retired veteran who finished his career with the Steelers, said Rodgers’ attention to detail and day-to-day communication stood out immediately after the four-time NFL MVP joined the team late in the 2025 season.

Speaking on Good Morning Football, Thielen said he noticed the “communication” and the “detail” of Rodgers’ approach once he arrived in Pittsburgh, adding that it helped explain why Rodgers has remained “so great for so long.” In Thielen’s view, Rodgers treats routine work like it matters in the outcome of games, not just in the mechanics of the route tree. Thielen’s most pointed line came next, saying Rodgers “treated every single practice like it was the Super Bowl.”

The timing is notable because Thielen’s own Pittsburgh chapter began as an in-season reset. On Dec. 2, 2025, the Steelers claimed the wide receiver off waivers after the Vikings granted his requested release, a move that put him into a struggling Steelers passing offense and positioned him as a veteran option immediately. According to, Thielen’s 2025 production with Minnesota came in limited fashion, with eight receptions for 69 yards across 11 games at the time of the waiver claim.

The Steelers’ roster decisions that December also set the stage for what Thielen described later in June. noted that Rodgers’ production in Pittsburgh was largely generated by DK Metcalf, with the rest of the receiving group needing help at the margins. That context matters because Rodgers’ reputation for elevating timing and precision becomes most visible when the supporting cast is uneven, particularly early in the season after an offseason adjustment.

Thielen’s comments also landed during a stretch of offseason work in which Rodgers continues to show his old strengths. In a reported OTAs moment, Rodgers capped a two-minute drill with a deep ball, including a 70-yard throw to Roman Wilson, which was described as a ball with significant loft and placement. Steelers tight end Darnell Washington was also quoted saying Rodgers still has the arm, while Wilson praised the nature of the throw.

For Pittsburgh, the takeaway is less about nostalgia and more about alignment. Thielen’s career arc includes long periods of route-running structure and quarterback-relationship building, and his endorsement of Rodgers’ communication is a reminder of what the Steelers are trying to stabilize in Year 2. For the rest of the AFC North, it reinforces a simple question, whether Pittsburgh’s passing rhythm can stay consistent enough to make defenses pay for the small mistakes that Rodgers is known to punish.