Aaron Rodgers is set for one final NFL season and will quarterback Pittsburgh Steelers for the second year in a row. Things are vastly different compared to Rodgers’ first season in Pittsburgh. The coaching staff has almost completely turned over, with Mike McCarthy now the Steelers’ head coach. Despite all of those changes, Rodgers had high praise for the Steelers’ offense Tuesday after practice.

“I think we’re right where I’d like to be,” Rodgers said via transcripts provided by the team. “I think we’re ahead of where we were last year. I think you’re seeing guys take some steps and then play with confidence. I think Pat [Freiermuth] has had a fantastic camp.

“I think DK [Metcalf] has had an unbelievable camp. I love both our lead backs… And [Robert] Tonyan, I think has had a really good camp, too. I’m obviously partial to him, having spent a lot of time with him, but I think he’s played really, really well.”

Rodgers’ observation is interesting because McCarthy has expressed how unhappy he is with the team’s pre-snap penalties.

However, perhaps part of Rodgers’ feeling comes from his familiarity with McCarthy’s offense. He spent over a decade playing for McCarthy with the Green Bay Packers, and he had a ton of success. Things didn’t always seem smooth for Rodgers in Arthur Smith’s offense. He wasn’t the only one that stumbled slightly last year, either.

Freiermuth and Metcalf both had underwhelming seasons in 2025. Freiermuth only had 486 receiving yards, and Metcalf fell short of 1,000 yards. Neither of them made the impact that they wanted to.

However, reports out of training camp support what Rodgers is saying. Metcalf has said that he feels like he has a much better connection with Rodgers. Meanwhile, Freiermuth is confident that he’s going to be much better this season.

It’s not surprising to hear Rodgers praise Tonyan, either, even though the tight end is still relatively new to Pittsburgh. He did not sign with the Steelers until June following a tryout during minicamp. However, Tonyan and Rodgers were teammates in Green Bay for six seasons, and the two developed a good connection.

Tonyan even caught 11 touchdown passes in 2020. Rodgers puts a lot of stock in how familiar he is with his pass catchers. That could help Tonyan stick on the Steelers’ 53-man roster.

Those weren’t the only players that Rodgers praised, either. He also had a lot of positive things to say about Roman Wilson.

“You see a guy like Roman Wilson, who went through a number of healthy scratches last year. He comes in this year, he looks to be more dynamic. He’s making plays. He’s confident. The personality starts to come out. He’s joking around more with you in the locker room. I love that.”

This isn’t the first time Rodgers has praised Wilson. He’s had nothing but good things to say about the young receiver since training camp started. Last year was rough for Wilson, the former third-round pick even getting benched near the end of the season. However, it sounds like he could finally take a step forward this year.

The Steelers’ offense had some nice flashes last year, but it wasn’t consistent enough. Rodgers sounds confident things will be different this year. Hopefully, he’s right.