'That's why we play': Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers relishes meaningful December games

Aaron Rodgers admitted that his motivation to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers was to play meaningful games in December, something he hadn’t experienced the previous two seasons with the New York Jets.

The 27-22 win at the Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday served as fuel for his competitive fire, as will the Monday Night Football game against the Miami Dolphins at Acrisure Stadium.

“That’s why we play,” Rodgers said Thursday afternoon at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “Obviously, you play to win championships. But you’ve got to be in position of playing the right way late in the season. So, it’s good to be a part of a big-time game last Sunday, and the rest of these will all be the same.”

Where Rodgers relished how the return of Philip Rivers to the Indianapolis Colts means he’s no longer the oldest player in the NFL – Rivers turned 44 on Monday, six days after Rodgers turned 42 – his focus remains on guiding the Steelers (7-6) to an AFC North Division championship. Rodgers professed to believing since the start of training camp at St. Vincent College that the Steelers were playoff worthy.

“I knew it during Latrobe,” Rodgers said. “I knew that this team was built for the long haul and the seasons play out in in their own legs.”

The Steelers’ season might get extended because of how Rodgers used his legs against the Ravens. He scored on a 1-yard touchdown run at 7:13 of the first quarter to give the Steelers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, marking his first rushing touchdown since playing for the Green Bay Packers in January 2023. Rodgers ran for a 2-yard score in the fourth quarter of a 41-17 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Where Rodgers flashed his Discount Double Check belt celebration, popularized during his time with the Packers because of State Farm commercials, he doesn’t plan on making it a habit.

“I hadn’t scored a rushing touchdown in a while,” Rodgers said. “I leave that on for rushing touchdowns – or touchdowns in the playoffs when I’m nursing a calf injury. Other than that, that’s the only time you’ll see it.”

Rodgers is reserving celebrations for more meaningful moments in meaningful games in December, finding comfort in how the Steelers’ winning tradition compares to his time in Green Bay and the way the organization has the ability to tune out distractions.

“At the core, we never doubted that we were going to be in the mix in December,” Rodgers said. “And, here, I think it’s the same thing. I don’t think guys are too worried about getting in Twitter fights or you know, arguing about some of the outside narratives and that’s a credit to the organizational structure as a whole from Mr. Rooney on down, but putting the right people in place. And I think as you see in the league, it’s a very knee-jerk reaction league where if you’re not winning, you’re out.

“And they’ve won here for a long time. There’s been some 8-8 seasons, as well, but there wasn’t many, it didn’t seem like it from afar. There wasn’t any like, ‘We’ve got to make wholesale changes.’ I’m a firm believer if you if you choose the right people to lead and you have the right process, you don’t have to make changes. You just deal with the ups and downs and don’t make crazy reactions in the moment that you feel like are going to make things better. Because, for the most part, it leads to rebuilding or dysfunction that that kind of can break some of the foundational characteristics of winning organizations like the Steelers are.”