Hr2: More Rodgers Reaction

Uhler and King break down the addition of Aaron Rodgers, and are joined by Steelers sideline reporter Missi Matthews to continue the conversation.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:17):
Our number two of our Aaron Rodgers Reaction special here
on Steelers Nation Radio, West Huler Rob king with you
on the day that we have all been waiting for,
as Aaron Rodgers has signed a one year contract with
the Pittsburgh Steelers. We've waited, we've speculated, it has now
been announced by the organization, and Kinger and I are
here to react with you. It is our number two.

(00:39):
Thanks to Jerry Dulac for joining us in the first hour.
About ten to fifteen minutes from now, the great Missy
Matthews and part of our broadcast crew team Kinger will
be joining us as well. Excited to catch up with
Missy here in a few minutes.

Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah, I'm sorry.

Speaker 3 (00:56):
I've seen Missy at OTAs and did a little chat
yesterday after the OTA is wrapped up, so it'd be
good to get her perspective. You know, she's in the
locker room talks with the players quite a bit. Wouldn't
be a bit surprised if she winds up interviewing Aaron Rodgers. Yes,
I'm looking forward to her perspective as well, for sure.
Because you know there's football, there's also the stories around

(01:19):
Aaron Rodgers. As we know he brings with him, as
Russell Wilson did some interesting side stories, so it'd be.

Speaker 2 (01:28):
Fun to have him there and fun to hear from her.

Speaker 1 (01:31):
Absolutely, And I mean when you do kind of what
you and I do for a living, people that are
in the media business, and that's a very wide casting net.
To me, It's like, yeah, principles and superintendents and teachers,
they all work within a school district, but what they
all do is a very different job. At the same time,
it's kind of like that in the media as well too.
But to cast that wide blanket, this, I think is

(01:54):
I tell you what it's like, spoon being spoon fed
from the content gods, getting a guy both on the
field and off the field like Aaron Rodgers. So yeah,
excited to talk to Missy here in a few minutes.
Always fun. You know, our our broadcast crew that's in
the trenches together every week, Kinger. I think we I
like to think we have a special bond together, our group,
and so we'll catch up with with Missy Matthews here

(02:14):
in just a few but before we do, I did
want to continue to discuss you know, what Jerry talked
about there at the end of his segment, Kinger, and.

Speaker 4 (02:23):
What does this mean for the balance of the.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
Way that we know the Steelers and Arthur Smith want
to play versus how the future Hall of Fame Super
Bowl champion, four time MVP quarterback who still threw for
four and twenty eight yards and nearly six hundred pass
attempts last season wants to play.

Speaker 3 (02:42):
I think that'll be a huge determining factor. I mean,
I think that's really that's going to be a big
part of the story. Look, it's not the only part
of the story. You know, what does Aaron Rodgers have
left in the tank? I think that's a It's a
question that is a legitimate question. He's forty one years old,
so that's gonna be one question. You know, is he

(03:05):
now with that? Is he reaching for past glories? Is
he is he adjusting his game? What is he doing?
But you know, there's different layers to it, different parts
to that equation. But essentially, you do have a guy
who threw the ball a ton last year, who I
think likes to throw the ball a ton. I think
most top you know, most top quarterbacks, do they understand

(03:26):
that they've always been the guy who's been the focal
point and the reason that their teams the number one
reason their teams have had success. And if you know,
if you don't think that's true, just look at the
Super Bowl winning champions. Just look at the teams as
we identify that we identify as the top teams in
the AFC. They all have that elite level quarterback who

(03:46):
wants things to flow through him. With Lamar Jackson, it's
the run game and the pass game. Obviously with Mahomes
and Allen, you know, both guys can run a little bit,
but it's the passing game. They want to be the
guy that leads their team to victory because, frankly, in
their lives, the evidence has always said that when you
are the guy, we win more games. Right, you know,

(04:08):
It's just the way it is. So it becomes ingrained
in their DNA, It becomes ingrained in there. I suppose
DNA would would would would uh you know, predate experience.
So I shouldn't say it was a grade in their DNA,
but ingrained in their recent memory. Banks put it that way,
that that they are this is what makes you good.
You know, people talk about Wow, they're selfish, they want
to show off their skills.

Speaker 2 (04:29):
I am.

Speaker 3 (04:30):
Maybe I don't know, but you know, there their preponderance
of evidence says when I star, we win, right, correct,
So that's you know, that's that's it'll be interesting to
see if that is something that you know, continues, if
there's a meeting of the minds, if there's a melding
together of ideas, if there's a little give and take.

Speaker 2 (04:52):
Frankly, I think there's going to have to be a
little give.

Speaker 1 (04:53):
And take, absolutely, And that's the strike of the balance
that you're looking for. And I think that's how you
become a real problem for opposition defenses as well too.
That you can still do Aaron Rodgers explosive things through
the air, but run the ball and control the clock
at the same time and let your defense stay healthy
and rested. That would be kind of some nightmare matchup

(05:16):
problems for opposition coordinators as well too. I'm with you
on that one, and yeah, but you are absolutely correct,
you know. It's it's funny like I was thinking about
this as you were talking about these you know, these
these high level quarterbacks there Kinger and over the last
you know, twenty years, which is a large sample size.
Like if you're not the Philadelphia Eagles. You better have

(05:39):
a future Hall of Fame quarterback to win the Super Bowl, right,
I mean, they did it with Nick Foles in that
stretch there where Foles was able to play two unbelievable
games back to back against the Vikings and then against
the Patriots and the Super Bowl.

Speaker 4 (05:52):
Thankfully, the Eagles had.

Speaker 1 (05:52):
The first round by and we're able to escape on
the last play of the game against the Falcons in
the divisional round when Nick Foles did not well and
Matt Ryan's passed the Julio Jones fell short on fourth
and goal, and the Eagles go on to win the
Super Bowl and the Philly Special and all that stuff.
And then again, I think we both think Jalen Hurts
is very good, and I'm not saying he couldn't have

(06:14):
a future Hall of Fame career, but as we sit
here right now, I don't think he's like Patrick Mahomes
slam dunk Hall of Famer as well over the last
twenty years. Unless you've been the Eagles, you better have
that dude under center at quarterback, and you better let
him be that guy who can win you games in
those big, crucial crunch time moments.

Speaker 3 (06:35):
Yeah, there are exceptions obviously. I mean, you go back
to Trent Dilfranks.

Speaker 4 (06:38):
Right, but that was twenty five years.

Speaker 3 (06:40):
Ago, and that was exceptional stuff with that defense that
they had. You know, I just think that that's what
the evidence points to. You've got to have a guy.
And as we talked about, you know, in the last hour,
to me, it's a sliding scale. The greater the quarterback,
the less greatness you need around him. The less great

(07:01):
the quarterback, the more greatness you need. And you know,
you could probably there's probably some sort of scale ast
whether that gets exponential. You know, do you have to
have if you have, you know, eighty percent of the quarterback,
do you have to have twice the team?

Speaker 5 (07:15):
You know?

Speaker 2 (07:16):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (07:16):
I don't know what the sliding scale would be. I
just think that the Steelers have built their roster. I
don't think they're finished building their roster. I don't think
this is the roster necessarily that they'll go into the
season with. They've been very patient and been able to
add guys in training camp. We've seen them have to
add guys throughout the course of the season. But as

(07:37):
I look at this team, I see a roster that
has very quickly developed into a deep roster. Do they
have holes? Of course they have holes. Every roster as holes.
There's every team goes into training camp wondering, you know,
do I have what happens if my nickelback gets injured?
I mean even the elite teams, you know, do we

(07:58):
have a third or fourth offensive tackle of injury strike?
You know, and you think you have depth a few
years ago this year, this thought they had depth in
inside linebacker. Well then it turned out that they were called, hey,
Miles Jack, can you come play?

Speaker 2 (08:10):
What are you doing?

Speaker 3 (08:12):
What have you been up to the last you know,
eleven weeks or whatever it was when they signed him. So,
you know, I think that overall the roster is much
much better. And I think that Aaron Rodgers is going
to be an upgrade. I think that he's going to
do some things naturally that fit into Arthur Smith's offense.
I think you'll throw the ball more over the middle

(08:33):
of the field. You know, the story always was that
Russell Wilson liked to throw the ball out in the flat.
So you know, if you're tailoring a little bit of
your play calling to what he does best, now maybe
that opens up a little play calling for Aaron Rodgers,
there's probably when you talk you know, we just talked
to Jerry Dulac, when you have to change plays at
the offense at the line of scrimmage, there's probably or

(08:54):
maybe going to have to be more freedom given to
him than there would be another quarterback because he's a
different guy. You know, he's a different guy than everybody else,
you know, and so you know, you know, I don't
think you you know, and I think this goes both
ways about you know, the old yarn about pounding a
square peg into a round hole. Well, you don't want

(09:15):
to do that from either perspective. You know, you don't
want to come in if you're Aaron Rodgers and say, hey,
take this offense and toss it out the window.

Speaker 2 (09:23):
No, that's not going to happen.

Speaker 3 (09:24):
By the same token, I don't think you want to,
you know, put the reins on Aaron Rodgers that you
might on other quarterbacks. So that's why, you know, when
we talked about this in the first hour, I'm fascinated
to see what that balance looks like, how they strike it,
because I do think it's gonna have to be a balance,
and we'll begin to see that a little bit. We
probably won't see it in mini camp. We're gonna begin
to see it in training camp. And it's gonna be fun.

Speaker 4 (09:46):
It sure is.

Speaker 1 (09:47):
Like I said, for people who do what we do
for a living, this is like manna from the heavens.
It's gonna be a lot of fun. It's gonna be
a lot of discussion, a lot of eyeballs. Listen to
Pittsburgh Steelers. They are the Pittsburgh Steelers. They're the five
star matchup because we're in it. There's always balls on
this organization. But when you combine that with one of
the if not the most polarizing followed watched athlete in

(10:09):
the entire league, it is certainly going to create a
fun dynamic. Our friend, Missy Matthews, will join us to
continue the conversation. On the other side, it's the Aaron
Rodgers Reaction here on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers
Audio Network. Back on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers

(10:49):
Audio Network for a special addition, reaction to Aaron Rodgers
and the Pittsburgh Steelers finally agreeing to terms on a
one year contract, of course, pending physical The four time
NFL MVP Super Bowl champion, one of the best to
ever do it will be in the Black and Gold

(11:10):
sooner rather than later. Joining us to discuss now one
of the greatest to do it in the Black and Gold,
Missy Matthews, Missy, We've waited, We've speculated, it is, it
is finally done. Aaron Rodgers is a Pittsburgh Steeler.

Speaker 4 (11:23):
How we feeling.

Speaker 5 (11:26):
I'm glad. I was kind of telling you before we
jumped on. I'm glad it's happening now and not after
you get through mandatory mini camp and then you think
you have a break before training camp starts, because that
was my probably worst nightmare. I think we all knew
it would happen before training camp based on what coach
Tomlin had said that that was kind of his starting point.

(11:46):
You kind of needed to be there. Now. Sure things
can happen, and we've seen people added after there, you know,
like Joe Hayden that was during the fourth preseason game
when those existed. But I think for this one, you
definitely wanted the commitment. You wanted to know and now
you will have three days of him out on the
practice fields getting to know everybody in Pittsburgh that he

(12:09):
doesn't already know before you had to Latro at the.

Speaker 1 (12:11):
End of July.

Speaker 3 (12:13):
So, uh, hi, Missy, I don't know if I don't
know if it was my clattering dropping of my uh
of my headset on the air?

Speaker 2 (12:19):
Did I make it on the air?

Speaker 4 (12:20):
I think I think you're all good?

Speaker 2 (12:22):
Okay, I my mic turned down.

Speaker 3 (12:24):
Don't tell on yourself now, King, Well, I couldn't tell
because I dropped. I couldn't hear anything, and all of
a sudden I dropped my I dropped my headset.

Speaker 2 (12:31):
So sorry about that. Well, go ahead, missy, No.

Speaker 5 (12:35):
That you're good?

Speaker 1 (12:36):
Go ahead.

Speaker 5 (12:37):
I didn't hear anything.

Speaker 2 (12:38):
Good good, good, never happened.

Speaker 3 (12:39):
Never asked that question, So I wanted to ask you, Missy,
like when you this is a this is a huge story, obviously,
and you know, beyond the football. I'm excited about it
because it's gonna be a huge story and it's it's certainly,
for lack of a better way to phrase it, it
certainly is not going to be boring or uninteresting, not

(13:01):
that football ever is, but it's it's going to add
a level to that.

Speaker 2 (13:04):
Do you agree, And.

Speaker 3 (13:06):
What's your expectation for what it's going to add for
those of us who broadcast games and cover the Steelers
and around the Steelers all the time.

Speaker 5 (13:15):
I think it's going to be similar and probably even
more so than last year when the Steelers completely slipped
their entire quarterback room and you brought it Russell Wilson
and Justin Fields. I think this is going to be
that like on Crack, It's going to be a lot
more because of Aaron, and I just feel like the
media attention that he gets outside of football and because

(13:38):
of football, and I do think you know, you can
go back to that game at lambeau Field. I think
it was twenty one or it was twenty one when
coach Tomlin kind of, you know, cut Aaron off guard
a little bit. Aaron thought he could get away with
something and they had that smirk and the cameras caught it.
And then you know, this morning, all over social media
you see nothing but Aaron Rodgers. My out rhythm clearly

(14:00):
knows that I cover football. And there was a part
of my takee clip from years ago. He's in a
Green Bay Packers jersey and the guys are asking, you know,
what does grit mean to you? And his reply literally
in a Green Bay Packers Jersey from twenty twenty two.
Maybe he says it Mejor from Pittsburgh and they're like, oh,
we haven't got that answer yet. He goes through the

(14:21):
laundry list of coaches Mike McCarthy, Tom Clements, Frank Signetti,
Don Caper's I'm probably forgetting a few that kind of
brought him up in the football world whenever he was
in Green Bay. And what a perfect answer. You know,
was it foreshadowing? Probably not, But you can connect the
dots on a lot of different things of why this

(14:42):
marriage I think between the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers makes sense,
especially at this time. And I think, you know, as
I said, I think we all knew it was going
to happen. It was just a matter.

Speaker 1 (14:52):
When here's a quick little drop of that clip that
Missy was just referencing.

Speaker 2 (14:58):
Okay, yah, what does grit mean?

Speaker 4 (15:00):
Uh Mejior from Pittsburgh. Ooh uh yeah.

Speaker 1 (15:04):
I think people are gonna warm up to him pretty quickly, uh,
Missy with this kind of like king Or just said,
from a you know, from our perspective, a business that
we're all in that is, you know, dependent upon storylines.
This certainly leads to some incredible storylines. The opener in
New York against his last team, Sunday Night Football Week

(15:26):
eight against the Green Bay Packers here in Pittsburgh. Uh,
trips on the road to places like Chicago and Detroit
where Aaron Rodgers used to terrorize the locals when he
was a member of the Green Bay Packers. As you
look at it right now, UH, which which which game
do you have most circled?

Speaker 4 (15:43):
Is it the opener? Is it the Packers?

Speaker 1 (15:45):
What are you kind of most looking forward to as
it relates to the Aaron Rodgers juxtaposition.

Speaker 5 (15:51):
I think it has to be the Packers game. It's
prime time, you know. I just think the league knew
but didn't know for when they were, you know, coming
up with the Steelers schedule, and they even said it
wasn't about the Aaron Rodgers revenge games. But I think,
you know, he played the longest in Green Bay of
course the Jets. I think one of the ESPN reporters

(16:12):
from New York had said that it will be the
first time in NFL history that the season opening game
between two starting quarterbacks who swapped teams that they started
for the previous year will take place. I mean that
is kind of crazy when you think about it with
Justin Fields and Aaron Rodgers. It's a one o'clock game.
Sure he has a tie there, but I you know,

(16:33):
it's the green Bay game. I think you know he
was with Green Bay when they beat the Steelers in
the Super Bowl. I think just the history there, how
things happened that that primetime game. I can only imagine
what that atmosphere is going to be like. Even though
it's not an AFC North game, I feel like it's
going to have that same feel to it, especially you
know all eyes on Sunday Night football.

Speaker 1 (16:56):
Yeah, completely agree that one. I think is certainly going
to be a lot of fun for the fans. Like
I said, for everybody that's kind of in our capacity,
I wanted to ask you, Missy, how do you think this?
I mean, this is obviously going to have an impact
on the Steelers' overall vision of the offense.

Speaker 2 (17:15):
Right.

Speaker 1 (17:16):
We know that they've been predicated on being a run
first team lately. I think they've drafted and made free
agency moves that have supported that. But you're adding a
quarterback in Aaron Rodgers that is one of those and
has been one of those unique unicorns who is cerebral
from the shoulders up. I mean just last year, Missy.
He's had twenty years in the league. Last year was

(17:37):
the third most passes he's ever thrown in a season
in his career, So it's not like he's been cutting
down in that regard. What do you think the marriage
of Arthur Smith and the Steelers' philosophy versus what Aaron
Rodgers does at a high level. Obviously we're going to
see that all play out through training camp in the
start of the season, but how do they strike the

(17:58):
best balance?

Speaker 4 (17:58):
In your mind?

Speaker 5 (18:00):
Well, I think especially last season, they had a coaching change,
the injuries, everything that they dealt with in New York.
I'm not so sure that the amount of pass attempts
were probably what they wanted or it was what he wanted.
But I do think it makes perfect sense that his
career interception percentage and how low it is, the lowest

(18:21):
in NFL history, That makes perfect sense for what Mike
Tomlin has been preaching post Ben Roethlisberger. I'm taking care
of the football, not turning the football over, and being
a physical team with Arthur Smith and what he has envisioned,
and it's crazy when you think about the fact that
when Arthur Smith took this job, he thought Kenny Pickett
was his starting quarterback. He never worked with Kenny Pickett.

(18:44):
You know, they probably changed a few text messages or
phone calls. But you know he has had to adapt
based on who was playing last year obviously, and now
it's going to change again this year because it's a
completely different quarterback room and now you have Aaron Rodgers
in the latter portion of his career. But I think
the fact that he doesn't turn the ball over is

(19:05):
going to help tremendously and be more in line of
what they want. But also knowing that you have DK
Metcalf and oh, by the way, those guys already worked
out together this summer before Aaron signed. I don't think
that DK Metcalf signed here completely blind of who the
potential quarterback could be in some form or fashion, and

(19:28):
I think working out with them is a good thing.
And I think obviously we haven't seen DK during OTAs,
but he has been in Pittsburgh a lot since signing,
so he's already worked with Mason Rudolph and a bunch
of other guys too. So I'm as you both have said,
I think it's it's intriguing. Even my neighborhood text group
has been lighting up about it. It's not just people

(19:50):
who cover football, it's it's everybody in Pittsburgh. And certainly
it's not going to leave a dull moment when they
hit the practice fields on the South Side next week,
and then in Latrobe.

Speaker 1 (20:01):
In July, Well said, I'm right there with you, last
one I've got for you, then Missy with you know,
the anticipation now I think of mini camp next week
really will get thrown into into full throttle. Is that
is the thing that you're most excited to see next week?

Speaker 2 (20:19):
Is it?

Speaker 1 (20:19):
Is it the Rogers and DK connection and what those
two already have and what they'll be working on, or
you know, is there maybe something else at the forefront
of your mind with the defense with new additions like
Darius Slay. But I got to imagine when we get
to Tuesday of next week and you know, capital M
mandatory many camp begins, it's gonna be hard to that

(20:40):
unique body type that DK metcalf is and a guy
who throws the ball like Aaron Rodgers to to take
eyes off of them next week.

Speaker 5 (20:48):
I mean, personally, I'm probably gonna be most excited about
his press conference because I can only imagine how many
cameras are going to be there. I feel like it's
going to be what Hard Knocks was like at the
end of last season time ten. But it's still mini camp,
it's still football and shorts. I don't think I will
be too excited about football stuff until theatrow. But obviously

(21:09):
just seeing him out on the practice field in the
black and gold with his new teammates, getting to know
Arthur Smith better. Obviously he has the connection to Tom
Arts and whatnot. So I think just more people watching
will be my jam next week.

Speaker 4 (21:27):
I dig it the great Missy Matthews.

Speaker 1 (21:29):
Of course, look for all her content on Steelers dot
Com next week. We'll be looking forward to catch you
back with up with you during training camp, in the
preseason and all that good stuff as well. Missy, thank
you so much for taking the time.

Speaker 5 (21:42):
You got it. Have a good day, guys, see.

Speaker 4 (21:44):
Miss you as well.

Speaker 1 (21:45):
There she goes Melissa Matthews, part of the sideline gang
rob King and yeah, man, I mean I tell you what.
From her perspect she's absolutely right with the press conference
stuff and all of that, and that made me think,
you know, you and I were kind of laughing about
like work being thrown into flux here on a Friday,

(22:06):
but we kind of always like the joke, like, hey,
it could be worse. We could be digging a ditch
or or building a roof somewhere or something like that.
I got to imagine life is pretty crazy right now
for Bert Lawton and all of our friends there on
the communications PR team, Michael and Macaya as they all
get ready for and I mean, I mean this in
the best way possible, but what will likely be a

(22:28):
little bit of a of a circus, a crazy all
eyes upon it type press conference. Whenever Aaron Rodgers is
officially introduced in the Black and Gold.

Speaker 3 (22:37):
It's going to be nuts. It's going to be nuts,
and it's going to be busy for a lot of people.
And you either it's like anything else in life, you're
either excited about it and you it and you embrace it,
or you grumble through it. We don't want to grumble
through life, well right, we want to embrace it because
it is exciting.

Speaker 2 (22:55):
It is.

Speaker 3 (22:57):
It is what we've sort of been anticipating. When I
think a lot of the NFL has been anticipating for
a while.

Speaker 2 (23:03):
You know.

Speaker 3 (23:03):
People asked me and have been asking me for several months,
who do I think is going to be this year
starting quarterback? And I mean I said, I think it's
going to be Aaron Rodgers and they and then I
had to shrug. They said, do you have any inside information?
I said, no, I don't have any inside information. I
just it just felt to me all along that this
was the logical outcome, this was the way it was

(23:24):
going to be. There's been time for me to contemplate
a little bit what it's going to be like, you know,
and it's going to be crazy. I think it's going
to be crazier than it was a year ago. Missy
brought up a great example with Russell Wilson. He's got
his superstar wife, he's coming in, he's got his own
story to tell in the league and his own story

(23:47):
moving forward, and then Justin Fields comes in and then
Wilson gets hurt. So now do you have a quarterback controversy?
And that's taking up a lot of space, a lot
of time. I still think this is a little bit
different level.

Speaker 2 (23:58):
Even than that.

Speaker 1 (24:00):
I am completely with you, and yeah, listen, we know
We know everybody there is well prepared to deal with this,
but it is it is certainly going to be. Like
I said, the Steelers are one of those organizations that
all the time, the eyes of the NFL world, the
eyes of the sporting world are upon them.

Speaker 4 (24:21):
They are, you know, a topic on all the.

Speaker 1 (24:23):
National shows regularly, and that is that is part of
being the Pittsburgh Steelers and having the Steeler Nation that
wide spans not only this country but the entire world.
And then yeah, when you combine a guy like Aaron Rodgers,
as accomplished as he is on the field, is one
of the best to ever do it, and being the
polarizing figure that he is off the field, I think

(24:44):
that's completely fair to say, right, king Or I don't
think that's like that's making too much out of it.
He is a polarizing figure off the field, for better
or for worse, for whatever everybody's opinion might be of him.
And yeah, when you merge those two worlds, it is
it's I think it's gonna be Kinger like again. And
we kind of talked about this last year with Russell
Wilson and Sierra and all of that, Like, oh man,

(25:06):
who would have thought that this would happen. This will
be something that we'll remember, that we'll talk about. But
I think this is gonna be even at another level,
you know. I I think twenty thirty years from now,
if I'm fortunate enough to have you know, grandkids and
they end up being into sports and things like that,
or even my daughters one day asking me about like, Hey,
you know, what was it dad, What was it like
when Aaron Rodgers came to the Steelers for that twenty

(25:28):
twenty five season.

Speaker 4 (25:29):
It's it's gonna be.

Speaker 1 (25:31):
And again, no matter how it turns out with double
digit wins and a division title and a playoff run,
or whether it ends up not going as well as
we all forecast and anticipate, I think it's going to
be very memorable for a lot of different reasons.

Speaker 3 (25:43):
Yeah, there are a lot of possible outcomes too. Yes,
that's the best way to put it. Look, he comes in, Uh,
you know, things don't go well as far as communication.
He wants to do things one way. This years want
to do things another way. There's a spat, there's you
know that this is the this is the worst casecenario,
right team flounders. His reputation takes a hit. Steelers reputation

(26:06):
takes a hit. You move on and you try to
regroup and smooth things over in a year of transition
where you go get a young quarterback like that, that's
to me, you know, I don't know, am I painting?
The worst case scenario is that? I mean, I don't
know if there I don't know if it could get
much worse. Maybe I don't know. That's what it feels
like to me. Now, let's take a look at the
best case scenario. The best case scenario is Aaron Rodgers

(26:29):
comes in, everybody's on the same page. We still see
that there's still plenty in the tank, especially with the
better team around him. The Steelers go deep into the playoffs,
maybe even win the Super Bowl. Okay, they trade up
and draft a young quarterback, but you know what, Aaron
Rodgers comes back for more and he remains a player
that is a force in the league, and the Steelers,

(26:50):
you know, march it deep into playoffs, the playoffs with
Aaron Rodgers at the quarterback. It's not just a one
year fix. They bring in a young guy who learns
under Aaron Rodgers at a different time of his career than
when they drafted Jordan Love. He's gonna understand that, he's
gonna know that the end is coming near. Now he
mentors that young quarterback, and you smoothly go into the

(27:11):
next era.

Speaker 2 (27:12):
Have I just painted the best case?

Speaker 4 (27:14):
Absolutely?

Speaker 2 (27:14):
Okay?

Speaker 3 (27:15):
So that's it right there to me. There are the
two sides of what could possibly happen, the downside, the upside.

Speaker 2 (27:25):
I can't wait to see it. What's gonna happen? I
don't know.

Speaker 3 (27:28):
Nobody knows, People have opinions, people have guesses. Nobody knows
until you go out and play.

Speaker 2 (27:34):
You know.

Speaker 3 (27:34):
That's one of the things that I've always loved about
sports wes is that you don't know.

Speaker 2 (27:39):
You think you know, you don't.

Speaker 1 (27:41):
Thank you now, but you don't know who was the
coach you so is that was that another Jim Mora one?

Speaker 3 (27:46):
I don't know it might have been, but I mean,
you know, uh, Mike Tyson knocks out Tomato Can after
Tomato Can, and you're just used to him, and and
good boxers in there too, used to him just dominating people.

Speaker 2 (27:57):
Who sees Buster Douglas beating him?

Speaker 3 (27:58):
You know what, you put two people in a ring,
you don't know for sure what's gonna happen. You put
two teams in a field, you don't know for sure
what's gonna happen. You put Aaron Rodgers in the Steelers
black and gold, and you get him into training camp
and you try to move forward. You don't know what's
gonna happen. We don't know what's going to happen, which
I think is fun and one of the great things

(28:19):
about sports and one of the things I'm excited to
see in La Trope.

Speaker 1 (28:23):
It was it was Jim Morrow with the famous you
think you know, but you don't know. You're not in
the locker room, you don't know, you never will that
classic Jim Morra I'll tell you what. He was a
great ranter. He he was a great sound bite. He
was a polarizing figure right off hihoffs. I mean, that's
his most famous one, obviously, and and rightfully so. But
the whole you think you know, but you don't know.

(28:44):
You're not in the meetings, you're not in the locker rooms,
you're not out on the field. You think you know,
but you don't know. Uh are our dear buddies touching
Wolf always loved that clip as well too.

Speaker 4 (28:55):
We have to take our final break here, Kinger.

Speaker 1 (28:57):
When we come back on the other side, final thoughts
will close down this special edition. Aaron Rodgers reaction on
Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.

Speaker 4 (29:29):
It's a special edition of Steelers Nation Radio.

Speaker 1 (29:32):
Aaron Rodgers reaction here on the Steelers Audio Network.

Speaker 4 (29:35):
Final segment.

Speaker 1 (29:36):
West Huler, Rob King as we bring this thing on
home and Kinger, it's amazing to me, Like we know this,
but it still never fails to blow my mind, to
impress me. I mean, right now, there is a lot
going on in the sports world. Partner the Stanley Cup.
The NHL is in its final series, and about the

(29:56):
crown of Champion. The NBA is in the finals, and
about the on a champion. Baseball is in full swing now.

Speaker 2 (30:02):
It's June.

Speaker 1 (30:03):
Kids are out of school, eyes are all fully focused
on baseball. I mean, we have the US Open coming
to Pittsburgh in just a few days. A whole bunch
going on in the sports world right now. But wherever
you go, the number one story is not about the
Indiana Pacers and their buzzer beater, not about the Edmonton
Oilers and their overtime Game one win, not about stuff

(30:24):
going on with Juan Soto or anything in baseball.

Speaker 4 (30:28):
It's Aaron Rodgers to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Speaker 3 (30:31):
Crazy and it is first of all, it shows the
mite and power of the NFL, right. I mean that
the fact that all dominatings are going on, and that
this story can eclipse and bump or at least share
the front page with an incredible ending in last night's
NBA game, you know, what a year the Pacers are having,

(30:55):
What a playoff they're having. Incredible, It's unbelievable. I mean,
you talk about it, team that's just never counted out.
It's it's unbelievable.

Speaker 1 (31:05):
I like to think it's because I went to a
game there in February when we were all at the Combine,
you know, and I I just inspired the Pacers to
greatness down the stretch.

Speaker 3 (31:13):
Isn't that funny? That was one of the things we
were all talking about, what do we want to do?
And that was one of the things that came up.
We want to go to a Pacers game and and
and uh and do that? We you and I had
talked about driving up to Indiana. We did, and and yeah, and.

Speaker 2 (31:28):
Seeing a game.

Speaker 3 (31:29):
And then I think I took the I took the
veterans way out and just went to bed.

Speaker 4 (31:34):
Early, which is never a bad idea.

Speaker 2 (31:36):
Yeah, we'll call it.

Speaker 3 (31:37):
We'll call it veteran instead of other words that we
could have used to describe that decision. But no, you know,
it's uh, it is it's amazing. It's the might of
the NFL, it's the power of Aaron Rodgers. I think
the fact that it's the Steelers certainly adds another ingredient
to that mix. You know, you're talking about a storied
franchise with Aaron Rodgers joining him. So there's just a

(31:59):
lot of things play that make this a huge story.
And you know, Aaron Rodgers continuing celebrity, you know, the
Pat McAfee show and all the other things that he's doing,
you know, being in New York, being part of Hard
Knocks and you know when they when he went there,
and all that other stuff just continues to add to
his celebrity, and all those things together just make this

(32:21):
a huge national story.

Speaker 4 (32:24):
They certainly do.

Speaker 1 (32:25):
And you know, as we kind of get to final
thoughts and start to wrap this thing up, King or
you obviously as the voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers, are
going to have a heck of a vantage point for
all of this this season, as you will paint the
picture on our radio broadcast right here on the Steelers
Audio Network, for every single game, same question that I
asked Missy about twenty minutes ago.

Speaker 4 (32:46):
There are some very there.

Speaker 1 (32:48):
Always is, and there still would have been even if
Aaron Rodgers wasn't a Steeler. But now with the direct tie,
the direct storyline, the direct ties, which of these games
this right now would you have circled on your calendar?
You know, particularly from the Aaron Rodgers story point?

Speaker 2 (33:06):
You know?

Speaker 4 (33:07):
Vantage point?

Speaker 3 (33:09):
Well, I think you know, obviously, the the Jets is fun, right,
you know, and I think the Packers they're they're gonna
be fun games. You know, they're gonna be a little extra.
I mean, it's always gonna be fun when you play
you know, the division opponents, and what is his first

(33:29):
look at what is his first look at the Baltimore
Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals. You know, what are those
what are those things going to look at? Ultimately those
are going to be the most important games. And I
think when we talk you know, all the games are important, obviously,
but when we talk about you know, we talk about
fun and we talk about importance. They're not necessarily maybe

(33:51):
the same thing. The game at the Jets is gonna
be fun. Aaron Rodgers is gonna take that field, I
would imagine to a chorus of booze. You know, it's
just the way it's gonna be. I don't know how
what the reaction would be in Green Bay, but we
don't have to worry about it because he's not going there.
The Packers are coming here for a prime time matchup.

(34:11):
That's gonna be fun.

Speaker 2 (34:13):
You know.

Speaker 3 (34:14):
In between those games, you have you know Minnesota, you
know in Ireland, which is a big game. You you
come by after the break too. You know, you have
back to back AFC North opponents. Remember this, dudes. Last year,
I think with the last team in the NFL to
play a division opponent, it was all loaded towards the
back end, if I recall correctly. You know Cleveland and

(34:37):
Cincinnati leading up to that Green Bay game, so you
know they're all big, But come on, man, green Bay
and the Jets just for sheer fun, those are gonna
be fun.

Speaker 2 (34:48):
They'll be fun.

Speaker 1 (34:49):
I mean there are just there are some perfectly tailor
made storylines and the Jets being his last team. As
Missy mentioned with Justin Fields, the first time that's happened
the first week of the season between two former quarterbacks
that started the previous season, you know, with the with
the other organization, it's just it's nuts.

Speaker 4 (35:11):
And then like.

Speaker 1 (35:13):
Those two normally would be to circle the calendar plus
the division games, like you say, huge deals, but then
when you consider that you are facing Aaron Rodgers, the
division that he spent you know, the eighteen of his
twenty years so far in in the NFC North is
the division that you're playing this year as well too,
Kinger Man that Minnesota Vikings matchup being in Ireland, being

(35:35):
against a team that used to be like that was
his Baltimore Ravens, you know, for the first eight teen
years of his career playing in Green Bay type thing,
and a franchise that you know has always kind of
disliked Aaron and there was some conversation about could he
join them this offseason as well too. Will be a
ton of additional storylines to a game that will already

(35:56):
be very hyped being the first NFL regular season game
in Ireland. But I gotta tell you, Kinger the one
for me that I'm really looking forward to, even with
the Jets, even with the Packers, even with Ireland and Minnesota,
and even with a close to Christmas end of season
trip to Detroit, that could be a massive game for
both teams.

Speaker 2 (36:15):
You're good.

Speaker 1 (36:17):
That's Sunday, November twenty third, one o'clock, which is going
to be a noon start for us locally, by the way,
in Chicago, I mean Kinger. This is Ben Roethlisberger in
Cleveland type domination that Aaron Rodgers has had over the
Chicago Bears in his career, and at that point in
the season two, you'll be ten games in, eleven games

(36:38):
in for both of these teams.

Speaker 4 (36:40):
It could be a crossroad moment.

Speaker 1 (36:42):
You know, whoever wins this game is feeling good about
their playoff chances. Whoever loses might be, you know, a
half step behind type thing in a place where they.

Speaker 4 (36:50):
Loathe Aaron Rodgers.

Speaker 1 (36:53):
Between two very passionate, I think, blue collar type fan bases.
That's the one that I'm really excited for. That Sunday
afternoon trip to Chicago could be a big one for
a lot of different reasons.

Speaker 3 (37:04):
Well, then you have the young quarterback versus the old
clutch slinger, the way he came on at the end
of last season for Chicago, the way the Bears came
on and played better football down the stretch makes that
helps to make that interesting. You know, the Steelers always
have their opponent's attention. They're one of those teams with
that mistique. They haven't lost the mystique. New England I

(37:27):
think has lost some of the mystique. Brady's gone. They floundered,
They're still looking for their way back. We know in
the NFL that could happen very quickly.

Speaker 2 (37:35):
They've made a.

Speaker 3 (37:36):
Lot of changes there, a lot of changes as far
as who's running the team and also personnel wise. We
know that NFL teams can turn in a dime, right
they can. They can go from.

Speaker 4 (37:48):
Work three lawnmower, right they are, or a one eighty lawnmower.

Speaker 2 (37:53):
I think they're looking for the one eighty.

Speaker 3 (37:55):
That's what I get the old spinner, as I do
it by hand, still do it by hand, old school,
So you know, I think that you know, those things
are all going to be taken into account as to
you know, who's up, who's down. But one of these
things about having this long stretch of non losing seasons
is that you've never had your star really dim You've

(38:17):
always been the Pittsburgh Steelers. Yeah, when announcers talk about
them that don't regularly cover them, when they're on a
Sunday night football or a Monday night football, or you
get an announcing crew that's not used to getting them,
they talk about that Steeler mystique.

Speaker 2 (38:34):
It still exists.

Speaker 3 (38:35):
You're always going to get the other team's best shot,
You're always going to have their full attention.

Speaker 2 (38:41):
Well, now let's throw Aaron Rodgers that mix.

Speaker 3 (38:44):
And like you said, taking on NFC North opponents, that's
just going to add to it, you know. And as
Mike Tomlin likes to say, the Steelers like to run
to the fight, not away from it, So they embrace that.
I think, you know, it was going back to the
nineteen seventies when it was you know, reportedly brought up

(39:04):
to this year that hey, we want you to be
America's team, No, we want to be Pittsburgh's team. Right,
and you know the Cowboys, we're gonna wear white all
the time, Steve Okay good Man, we'll wear black, right, We'll,
we'll we'll you know, if somebody's gonna wear the black Cat.
We're happy to do that. We're happy to be the
team that everybody's got to chip on their shoulder to face.

(39:26):
And now with Aaron Rodgers, like I said, that just
adds accelerant to the fire and I think makes it
super fun.

Speaker 4 (39:33):
It absolutely does.

Speaker 1 (39:34):
And there is always storylines every season, there is always
excitement every season, particularly for a fan base in a
city as football crazed as ours is. But I think
this one just got a little bit more exciting, a
little bit more crazed with the announcement of Aaron Rodgers
late last night. Kinger, that will do it for us today.
A big thank you to Missy Matthews and Jerry Dulac

(39:57):
for joining us, and a big thank you to you
because I I know you had a rain delayed Pirates
game last night that didn't start until after I was
already in bed, So thanks for getting up and joining
me for this this morning.

Speaker 3 (40:09):
Wes, for you and for Steelers Nation Radio anytime, and
it's a big exciting story and I can't wait for
its unfold.

Speaker 1 (40:18):
And we will all be out at Mini camp next
week Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, broadcasting live for three hours every
day beginning at ten am, and you know we will
have plenty more Aaron Rodgers and Steelers conversation. Then take
care everybody, we'll talk to you next week. Thanks for listening,
and as always, you know where to find us. It's
on your twenty four to seven home of the Black
and Gold. It's Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio

(40:40):
Network