Aaron Rodgers has once again publicly shown his appreciation of Pittsburgh grit.
During his latest 'Aaron Rodgers Tuesday' appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, the reigning NFL MVP subtly praised the Steel City once again.
"You want some of those guys who are those gritty, hard-nosed, blue-collar, Pittsburgh, you know, tough type of guys," Rodgers said in the clip shared by McAfee, a native of nearby Plum, Pennsylvania.
Rodgers' comments come after FOX Sports' Jay Glazer reported Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin wasn't interested in replacing Ben Roethlisberger with an inexperienced quarterback should the 39-year-old quarterback retire after his current contract expires next offseason.
“Ben Roethlisberger — (when) it’s time for him to move on — Mike Tomlin has told me he doesn’t want to start over with a rookie,” Glazer said. “The Steelers are going to want to go with somebody who is a veteran … The Pittsburgh Steelers, they are going to need a veteran quarterback, obviously, (considering acquiring Rodgers) makes sense.”
Prior to his Week 4 matchup against the Steelers, Rodgers expressed his affinity for Tomlin, the Steel City, its residents, and the popular social media personality 'Pittsburgh Dad' (@Pittsburgh_Dad), leading to speculation that the Steelers were a potential destination for the reigning MVP next season.
Rodgers and Tomlin also had a playful exchange during Sunday's game in which they shared head nods, adding more speculation to the quarterback possibly joining Pittsburgh next season.
"I'm just speaking the truth," Rodgers told McAfee. "Ask me a question about Mike Tomlin, I'm going to tell you how I feel about Mike Tomlin. If you want to take that and run with it and say I'm angling for some sort of next team or something, I'm not. I'm just answering a question about my respect for Mike and what he's accomplished in the league."
Glazer reiterated that Rodgers isn't a free agent, but could push for Green Bay to trade him after publicly expressing his displeasure in the franchise last offseason.
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