The Pittsburgh Steelers completely retooled their quarterback room this offseason, and it all starts with Aaron Rodgers. But they also added a top-tier weapon for him in WR DK Metcalf. So, it’s only fitting that they were suitemates at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., for training camp.

They’ve only been teammates for a short while. But Metcalf has already made quite the impression on Rodgers, both on and off the field.

“I haven’t had a guy like DK, I would say, in my career,” Rodgers said when he joined Metcalf on the Not Just Football with Cam Heyward podcast that aired Tuesday. “I’ve had some taller receivers, but DK’s got a unique skill set. I would say the one thing that I would maybe appreciate the most about him, and maybe it’s ’cause I’m old, but I do believe this is a great game and we’re fortunate to play. But there’s a way that you play. When this guy catches the ball, he finishes every single time.

“It’s just something really that melts my heart because it’s the love of the game. And even though you would like to think we’re all, most of us grew up dreaming about playing this, not everyone loves football on the same level. But I think you demonstrate how much you love football by the way that you do things when you’re not expected to.”

Aaron Rodgers has played with quite a few wide receivers in his 20-year career, including Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson, Greg Jennings, and Davante Adams. But Metcalf stands out to Rodgers. And not just because the two were sharing a podcast hit together, either.

Yes, Rodgers appreciates Metcalf’s physical abilities. We all remember watching Metcalf chase down Arizona Cardinals S Budda Baker to prevent a pick-six. Back at the NFL Combine in 2019, Metcalf checked in at 6-3 and 228 pounds with 34 7/8-inch arms. And somehow, he ran a 4.33 40-yard dash at that size. Metcalf is a physical specimen at the wide receiver position, even six years later.

But it’s Metcalf’s approach to the game that sticks out to Rodgers. He certainly doesn’t take the Allen Iverson approach to practice. Metcalf evidently loves the game of football enough to embrace every aspect of it, including practice. And that means a lot to Rodgers. It means that Rodgers can point to Metcalf when talking to younger wide receivers, saying he’s the player you want to watch and model your approach after.

The appreciation isn’t one-sided, either. Metcalf credited Rodgers for helping him change how he looks at opposing defenses. When players are working together well, they learn from and appreciate one another. That’s what it looks like is happening in Pittsburgh.

It will be very interesting to see how Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf perform this upcoming season. Metcalf was Rodgers’ favorite target in training camp, and it wasn’t even close. Will that continue once Week 1 rolls around? Who knows. But right now, there is no doubt that Rodgers appreciates Metcalf as a human being and as a football player.

You can watch the entire episode of Not Just Football with both Rodgers and Metcalf below: