Sometimes you have to remind yourself that it’s only training camp, and the Pittsburgh Steelers fan base experienced one of those moments on day one as new quarterback Aaron Rodgers immediately threw an interception where linebacker Patrick Queen read him like a book as he force-fed DK Metcalf.
It looks like a simple hitch or curl route from Metcalf — with the cornerback guarding deep and Queen occupying the zone underneath — and Rodgers completely misses the linebacker, throwing an easy interception near the sideline.
As you’d expect, this first official training camp pass in “Black and Gold” blew up on social media, but a follow-up post actually sparked an early QB1 debate among Steelers fans. ESPN’s Pittsburgh beat reporter Brooke Pryor’s quarterback update was the origin of the discussion.
“Aaron Rodgers went 1/3, including the opening play INT, and forced an offside in his first four team reps,” Pryor reported. Adding: “Mason Rudolph then came in and went 4/4 with the second team.”
It is important to remember that Rudolph may have been going up against backup defenders, but the Steelers QB update caused fans to immediately jump to conclusions either way.
“Mason is the starter,” one Steelers fan commented. While another Pittsburgh supporter said, “Rodgers is cooked LMAO.”
“Aaron [Rodgers] sucks,” a fourth user wrote. “Has no one watched the last 4 [years] of his career? Jordan Love did more with [the] same GB team. Zach Wilson did more with less w/NYJ after the Achilles. He’s washed and he stinks. The end.”
Finally, one fan even responded with a photo of rookie Will Howard, implying they’d prefer to see him out there than Rodgers.
The decision to sign Rodgers was far from unanimous amongst Steelers fans, and calls to bench him will only continue if he doesn’t perform.
Other Steelers Fans Defend Aaron Rodgers After Early Training Camp Interception Fuels Mason Rudolph Chatter
The reactions to this early training camp interception weren’t totally one-sided. Several Steelers fans also came to Rodgers’ defense.
“Lil kids about to overreact to one drive on the first day on practice 💔,” one popular reply read.
Another joked: “Here for the comments as if the first plays of camp are indicative of how the season will go.”
And a third fan questioned: “So, we are comparing a dude taking his first ever team reps with the team to a dude who has been taking second team reps in the program for years?”
It’s true, Rudolph does have the leg up on Rodgers in one area. Familiarity.
Although the Steelers employed a different offensive coordinator when Rudolph was with the team the first time around, he has been in Pittsburgh since the start of OTAs, while Rodgers signed late. Rudolph also knows what to expect of the fan base and head coach Mike Tomlin’s training camps, generally speaking.
At the end of the day, Steelers fans being split on Rodgers doesn’t truly matter as much as it might seem, because Tomlin and general manager Omar Khan are both all-in on him.
Barring injury or total embarrassment that lasts for the majority of the season, Rudolph and Howard will not sniff the field in 2025. That’s a fact, whether fans like it or not.
Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers Not Worried About Tough First Day
As you’d expect, the future Hall of Fame quarterback shook off the early interception after practice.
Per Pryor, when Rodgers was asked “what kind of omen he thought that first throw INT was,” the veteran signal-caller responded: “Good to get it out of the way.”
You don’t have as long and as successful an NFL career as Rodgers has had if you aren’t able to shake off the bad. And “bad” is mostly what day one of Steelers training camp was for the first-team offense, including the Steelers’ new QB.
On the bright side, fans won’t have to wait long for practice number two.
