T.J. Watt admits Aaron Rodgers is a nightmare to face in camp drills

The Pittsburgh Steelers are hoping that 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers has one more great season left in him. His rocky 2024 campaign with the New York Jets provided ample reason for skepticism, but then again, it's hard to take anything that happens in East Rutherford seriously. Rodgers is a four-time MVP renowned for his incredibly fast-working brain. The Steelers didn't leave themselves many better options this summer, even if a mild media headache is inherent to the Rodgers experience.

So far the early reports from training camp are mostly positive. Rodgers appears to have the faith of his teammates, with none more important than T.J. Watt. Pittsburgh recently made Watt the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history, a well-deserved raise. If anyone is going to give Rodgers trouble in training camp, it's Watt. So far, the opposite appears to be taking place.

Watt opened up about what makes Rodgers such a tough assignment in camp drills in a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.

T.J. Watt gives strong review of Aaron Rodgers at Steelers training camp

"Frustrating because he talks a lot of smack," Watt said when asked about practicing against Rodgers (h/t Sports Illustrated). "He really does. A lot of the no-look passes are things that we're getting used to. I like to bat down a lot of passes at the line of scrimmage, he's able to manipulate the defense good, so that's been very frustrating. Hopefully one day we get the better of him."

Steelers DT Cam Heyward echoed Watt's sentiment, noting Rodgers' trademark cadence under center.

"His cadence is deadly," Heyward said. "The thing he does best is he knows how to abuse the play clock. It's ridiculous, but it's gonna make us better."

This has to excite the Steelers fanbase. Rodgers appears to be mucking up the game flow and bending a good Pittsburgh defense to his will in training camp. We'll need to see it against live defense once the regular season starts, but if Rodgers is hitting all the right notes in training camp, it's an extremely positive sign.

Aaron Rodgers, Steelers under pressure to nail this season

Pittsburgh and Rodgers will probably get one season together. Rodgers spent months mulling retirement this summer and only inked a one-year contract with the Steelers. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh passed on multiple potential starters in the draft and in free agency, not to mention a trade candidate like Kirk Cousins. It was pretty much Rodgers or bust from the start. Pittsburgh did not have a Plan B other than Mason Rudolph, a rehash of a hopefully bygone era.

That means there is a lot riding on the 2025 campaign. If this all goes sideways, the Steelers are looking for a new starting quarterback for the third offseason in a row with absolutely zero momentum to build on. Pittsburgh will have passed on the likes of Jaxson Dart, Shedeur Sanders, Tyler Shough — even a reunion with Justin Fields — to throw away a season on a has-been. That is not the narrative Pittsburgh wants after the failed Russell Wilson experiment last year.

Watt is a beast. If he can't figure out Rodgers in camp, that could mean the former Super Bowl champ still has a few tricks up his sleeve after all. We just need to see it when the games count and defenses are truly out for blood.