Love-Fest Continues Between Mike Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers

The love affair between Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers continued on Tuesday, as both were asked about the smile they shared on the field during Sunday’s Packers win.

Rodgers rushed the Packers to the line to catch the Steelers changing personnel. Tomlin ran over to call timeout, negating Rodgers’ advantage. The two shared a look and a smile afterward.

“I’m a big Mike Tomlin fan,” Rodgers said Tuesday on the Pat McAfee Show. “I have been for a long time. I like the way he speaks about his team. I like the way that he goes about his business. I like his confidence. I’ve heard nothing but good things from guys that have played there. I like Mike Tomlin, and I like that he called that timeout. We tried to catch them with 12 guys on the field. He was kind of smirking about it. I respect that.”

Tomlin said he appreciated the gamesmanship from the Packers quarterback, even if it came at the expense of his team.

“It’s chess, not checkers,” Tomlin said. “If you’re a competitor, you love being in that environment, you love pitting your skills and talents and preparedness versus people like those guys, led by a guy like that guy. And as I mentioned, particularly in his venue, because of the latitude it provides him in terms of getting in and out of things at the line of scrimmage and having the ability to thoughtfully change pace, whether speed it up or slow it down, the challenges that that brings.”

The friendly relationship between the two has fueled speculation that Rodgers, who negotiated a potential out in his contract with the Packers after the 2021 season after demanding a trade during a contentious offseason, may want to finish his career in Pittsburgh.