GREEN BAY – Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is settling in with his new team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, by going through their mandatory minicamp this week.
Rodgers is preparing for his 21st NFL season, and the 41-year-old four-time MVP gets a chance to play against his former team in Week 8 of the 2025 season when the Steelers host the Packers on “Sunday Night Football.”
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Rodgers signed a one-year contract with the Steelers on June 6 after playing with the New York Jets the last two seasons.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur went on record during an appearance on “Up & Adams” in May that he expected Rodgers to join the Steelers.
“It’ll be a great challenge for us, we all know what type of player he is and how good he is,” LaFleur said June 11 on the second day of Packers minicamp. “I’m sure he’ll be telling everybody all our signals, so we’ll have to maybe play that mind game with him a little bit.”
Packers coach Matt LaFleur throws the football to cornerback Johnathan Baldwin (37) during the first day of minicamp June 10 at Ray Nitschke Field.
LaFleur coached the future Hall of Fame quarterback for the first four years of his coaching tenure in Green Bay. Rodgers and LaFleur led the Packers to NFC championship games in 2019 and 2020.
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The team went in a new direction heading into the 2023 season when they traded Rodgers to the Jets and moved Jordan Love into the starting quarterback role.
Love said he and Rodgers exchanged texts when the move to Pittsburgh was made official and wants to swap jerseys after their matchup.
“Knowing that we’re going to face off, it’s going to be very special for him to come back and play the Packers,” Love said. “It’s going to be a special game for him and definitely, like I said before, I want to get that jersey after the game and be able to swap.”
Here are other takeaways from LaFleur’s news conference.
Packers safety Evan Williams prepares for second season
After a struggling pass defense, the Packers had to completely revamp the safety room in 2024. Green Bay made a splash by acquiring Xavier McKinney in free agency, then drafted three safeties in the 2024 draft. Evan Williams was picked up in the fourth round and became a starter by Week 4 when Jaire Alexander was injured and fellow rookie Javon Bullard was moved to the nickel/slot corner position.
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“Another guy that loves the game,” LaFleur said on Williams’ character. “He’s extremely intelligent. He comes in with the right mentality and just works.”
Williams finished his rookie season with 49 total tackles (31 solo), three passes defended, an interception and a forced fumble, but injuries slowed his production.
In Week 14 against the Lions, Williams missed the second half of the game due to a concussion and missed the last three games of the regular season due to a quad injury.
“He’s got to continue to learn his body, because I know there were some injuries last year,” LaFleur said. “Just to make sure that he’s available. I think just building on what he’s already done and be consistent with it.”
The Packers will have team building on the field for the final day of minicamp
In previous years, the Packers wouldn’t hold practice on the final day of mandatory minicamp, instead holding an off-site team-building event.
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This year, LaFleur said the team will practice June 12, the final day.
“That is team building, right? When you’re going through some hard stuff together,” LaFleur said.
Due to the NFL draft being held in Green Bay this year, the Packers started the first week of the offseason program virtually. Once minicamp ends, the players won’t be back on the field until training camp kicks off July 23.
“I just think with kind of the circumstances of this year,” LaFleur said. “The fact that really next week not having them all in here, and also what we did at the beginning, I think it’s important to maximize our time and get that work in.”
Packers make personnel moves
The Packers announced changes to their personnel department June 11.
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Mike Owen, who is entering his 14th season with the club, has been promoted to national scout after working as a college scout since 2012.
Daric Whipple has been promoted to pro scout after working as a scouting assistant for Green Bay since 2023. He started with the Packers in 2022 as an intern.
Sam Fleming has been promoted to pro scout for the Packers, after working as a scouting assistant for the team since June 2024. He joined the Packers as an intern during the 2023 training camp.
Connor Koch has been promoted to an area scout (Northeast) after working as a scouting intern for the Packers during the 2024 season.
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Dan Zegers rejoins the Packers as scouting coordinator after working for the Browns since 2018. He started with the Packers as an equipment manager when he was 14 years old from 2004 to 2012, and also worked in the scouring department from 2007-13.
This article originally appeared on Packers News: Packers Matt LaFleur expects challenge from Aaron Rodgers, Steelers