Stop me if you've heard this Aaron Rodgers timeline before, but we're just past the Pittsburgh Steelers' first preseason game and the mercurial quarterback is making waves because of something trivial. No, this isn't another "immunized" type of situation, but the four-time NFL MVP made sure to take time while speaking to the media on Tuesday to let everyone know that he's still not happy that the league is forcing him to get a new helmet.
To get you up to speed on something that you probably — and rightfully — didn't care about when the news dropped, the helmet that Rodgers used in previous years was banned for safety reasons. So, he's been on the search for a new one that he deems worthwhile. The only problem is that the reported Schutt Air XP Pro VTD III with an F7 facemask isn't up to his standards.
Speaking with the media, the Steelers quarterback told everyone he's still not settled on a new helmet, saying that the new design he's been wearing throughout training camp to this point "looks like a damn spaceship" and also noting to Brooke Pryor of ESPN that the facemask is also not his liking in terms of the fit.
Aaron Rodgers said he’s still in the process of finding a new helmet. The one he previously used isn’t up to new safety standards. He said the one he’s used during camp looks like a “damn spaceship” and the facemask doesn’t fit.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) August 12, 2025
Just wear the helmet, Rodgers. This isn't the subplot that the Steelers or anyone needs right now.
Aaron Rodgers creating helmet drama in Steelers camp for no reason
Make no mistake, I fully understand the importance of any player, but particularly a quarterback, wanting to be comfortable with his vision and how he feels on the field. There is something to that. However, Rodgers already switched helmets once this offseason, wearing a different helmet in training camp than he did in minicamp.
This also isn't the first time that we've seen Rodgers voice frustrations with the helmet change this offseason. He noted back in June, "I've worn a Schutt for 20 years and somehow it finally didn't pass the safety standard." And the tone of that is just dripping with indignation that he "finally" is having to change his helmet. It's also something that, if you've been paying attention, has been coming down the pipeline for a while in the league.
All this is to say, he's had plenty of time to work through testing out different helmets, of which there are dozens of variations with both the helmet and facemask that meet NFL standards. And yet, we're here less than a month before the start of the regular season, and he's trying to make some sort of point in the media.
Not to be that guy, but Rodgers hasn't earned the benefit of the doubt at this point when it comes to how he tries to work the media and put himself as the center of attention. This feels like him snacking on sour grapes over the forced helmet change and not wanting to let it go. But for the Steelers, that's entirely unnecessary. This is a team going through a ton of different transitions this offseason, including installing Rodgers at quarterback. The last thing they need is a distraction caused by something so minuscule.
But again, this is Rodgers and, frankly, this is what everyone ultimately warned the Steelers about when it came to signing him. They can't be blindsided by it in the slightest — but that also doesn't mean this isn't frustrating with how needless of a plight their quarterback is embarking on with his helmet. Just find one that works quietly and move on.