Aaron Rodgers Quizzes Steelers WRs Like Simon Cowell — SkimNews
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- Aaron Rodgers regularly calls his pass-catching teammates to the front of the players-only meeting room to quiz them on hand signals, route-running details, the playbook, and opposing defensive tendencies — a tradition he started with the Packers in 2009 that successor Jordan Love continued in Green Bay.
- Rookie Germie Bernard, a second-round draft pick out of Alabama, passed Rodgers' weekday quizzes before his first career start in Week 5 against the Colts, finishing with a team-high nine targets, six catches for 80 yards, and a 25-yard catch-and-run on a broken play that converted a third down in the fourth quarter of Pittsburgh's win.
- Rodgers, a self-described "Jeopardy" superfan and 2021 guest host, told teammates the quizzes channel Simon Cowell's "American Idol" judging style — tight end Robert Tonyan cast himself as Randy Jackson and receiver Ben Skowronek as Paula Abdul.
- The Pittsburgh Steelers are missing three of their top five wide receivers entering Sunday's 1 p.m. ET CBS matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with Michael Pittman Jr. on injured reserve (foot) and Roman Wilson and Skowronek both sidelined by in-game injuries.
- Practice-squad elevation Brandon Smith — who first got quizzed by Rodgers when both were with the Jets in 2024 — said his palms got sweaty when Rodgers put him on the spot before the Colts game, but he performed calmly because of the preparation.
- Other quarterbacks use different preparation methods: Patrick Mahomes developed his habit of talking through routes one-on-one with pass catchers from Travis Kelce, who began approaching the young QB after every practice rep in 2019, while Kirk Cousins runs Saturday-night review sessions with his Raiders receivers.
- Former Rodgers teammate Davante Adams, now with the Los Angeles Rams, said Rodgers' in-front-of-the-team quiz format is somewhat unique, though Russell Wilson previously quizzed his Seattle receivers in a similar vein.
Why it matters: With three of Pittsburgh's top five receivers sidelined heading into the Tampa Bay game, 42-year-old Rodgers is counting on rookies like Bernard and a practice-squad call-up in Smith to execute his quick hand-signal-based at-the-line adjustments — a system Cousins noted won't function without the kind of face-to-face verification Rodgers' quizzes provide. Bernard's Week 5 performance (6 catches, 80 yards, a clutch fourth-down conversion in a two-point win) offers early evidence the preparation is translating, and the Steelers' 4-1 start buys Rodgers room to develop young targets on the fly.
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