Aaron Rodgers doubles down on approach to relationship with Steelers rookie QB Will Howard

Aaron Rodgers time in the NFL is coming to a close, but his legacy could live on through another player. During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, Rodgers revealed how he hopes to mentor Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Will Howard.

“I told the Tom Arthur, the quarterback coach, ‘I’m not going to speak up. I’m not going to slow things down. I’m going to study back at the hotel room and ask you questions on the side. I’m not going to interrupt the room,'” Rodgers said. “‘However, as we get into this, I want to help those guys out.’ Mason [Rudolph] has played a lot of football; so has [Skylar Thompson], but Will [Howard] is a rookie.

“I pulled him aside during one of the days and said, ‘Listen, I want to help you as much as possible, but I’m not going to overstep my bounds. If you want assistance, I’m here, buddy. I want to help you from the playbook on my own mistakes and things that I needed to learn from. That’s where everything’s going to come from. And if I can help you become a better player this year, that would be an incredible achievement for me.'”

It’d be difficult for Howard to find a more accomplished mentor. Rodgers signed with the Steelers in free agency this offseason after spending two seasons with the New York Jets.

The majority of Rodgers’ legendary career unfolded in Green Bay, where he won four MVP Awards and Super Bowl XLV. Rodgers is first on the NFL’s all-time career passer rating list and boasts the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in NFL history at 4.34.

Nonetheless, at 41 years old, Aaron Rodgers body is wearing down. Now, he’s ready to pass his knowledge onto Howard. Moreover, Rodgers believes Howard has an excellent foundation to build on.

“No. 1, he’s a real good kid,” Rodgers said. “He’s a sweet kid, and he’s had a lot of great success at the college level. But I was impressed by him. Obviously, he worked once the rookies came out in May. I thought he looked really sharp. He made a bunch of great throws. I think there’s definitely some things I can help him with, and some things that are different at the pro level.

“I’d love to help Will and set him up to have a chance to be the guy for the next — who knows how long. I think that’s part of the opportunity… The opportunity to help Will out is one that I’m really looking forward to.”