Steelers rookie quickly putting himself in Aaron Rodgers' doghouse

When they say "die a hero or live long enough to become the villain," it is generally in reference to Aaron Rodgers' career. Once considered arguably the most talented quarterback ever to set foot on an NFL field, Rodgers... is still considered that. But everyone hates him now, or is at least mildly annoyed by his old man faux-enlightened nonsense.

The Pittsburgh Steelers threw away the chance to draft a potential franchise quarterback, like Jaxson Dart or Shedeur Sanders, as well as a perfectly adequate future with Justin Fields, all for the chance to sign Rodgers in his age-42 season. That was a baffling and almost definitely wrong decision, but here we are. On the verge of retirement, the four-time MVP will mount one final postseason push with the most reliable head coach in modern football.

Rodgers can still throw it well and he has an undeniably brilliant mind for the game, but he's also a distraction by sheer volume of fame — not to mention his knack for ill-timed, often factually incorrect statements. It also seems like the Steelers' youngsters really annoy him.

Just a week after saying second-year wideout Roman Wilson needs to get "out of his own head," Rodgers was seen barking at rookie Kaleb Johnson at practice after an errant throw.

Aaron Rodgers 'upset' with Kaleb Johnson after missed connection in practice

It's not abnormal for a quarterback — especially a veteran quarterback — to share his thoughts with a young player after a missed connection. We don't know if it was a bad throw by Rodgers, a bad route from Johnson, or both simultaneously. But the mounting list of examples of Rodgers singling out young pass-catchers in Steelers practice is a bit concerning, as he can't let his ego and innate football genius get in the way of leading the locker room.

Rodgers has earned the right to express dissatisfaction with a route. He generally knows what he's talking about, so we can assume Johnson was at least partially in the wrong. Then again, a lot of the mistakes Rodgers deflected blame for last season rested solely on his shoulders. He can't quite move or throw with the same zip he used to, and it can be difficult for former stars aging out of their prime to accept reality.

Johnson, a third-round pick out of Iowa, should receive a significant workload out of the gate this season. He figures to begin as RB2 behind Jaylen Warren, but the Steelers are going to mix up personnel groups and invest in a timeshare, as Johnson is the future at that position. He's not a receiver, so his pass-catching utility will be restricted by nature, but Arthur Smith loves to deploy his running backs in varied ways. He will need to get on the same page as Rodgers sooner than later.

Steelers need Aaron Rodgers to walk the walk this season

None of this will matter if Rodgers can deliver a Pro Bowl campaign and guide Pittsburgh past the first round of the playoffs. This Steelers team is basically a lock for eight-plus wins every season, but Mike Tomlin's teams have developed a frustrating pattern of following up regular season success with postseason letdowns.

It's fair to wonder if Rodgers has enough left in the tank to deliver the necessary results, but the Steelers are banking on his wealth of experience. The track record is unmatched and Pittsburgh will, if nothing else, put him in a better position to succeed than the Jets ever did. There are still valid concerns about the wide receiver room aside from D.K. Metcalf, but Pittsburgh has the playmaking talent (and an elite defense) to at least look the part of a postseason contender.

If the Steelers don't level up, however, fans will tire of Rodgers' shtick very fast.