Rookie quarterback Aaron Rodgers credited his early development to observing Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinee Brett Favre during his initial years with the Green Bay Packers. As Rodgers prepares for his 21st season in the National Football League, now as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, he reflected on a significant moment from his rookie year.
During an episode of Cam Heyward’s podcast, which featured Rodgers and wide receiver DK Metcalf, Rodgers recounted how he decided not to follow instructions given by the coaching staff during practice drills. Instead, he chose to mimic behaviors demonstrated by Favre.
He stated, “I watched Brett Favre do that for three years. Anything that he could do that I couldn’t, I practiced the hell out of it. (…) So I’d be on the scout team on a Saturday when they said ‘Just throw picks’, it was my rookie year, it was ‘feel-good Saturday’. (…) ‘Just throw it to the defense,’ and I said, ‘I ain’t doing that’. So I went out there, and I was throwing no looks all over the place. (…) They finally, Mike Sherman had to say, ‘You tell 12 to cut that s–t out.’ I said ‘Well, tell him I’m not any throwing picks out there, I’d rather dirt it in the ground than throw picks.’ (…) That’s a bad habit to learn, least of all in my rookie year.”
Rodgers’ experience with practicing no-look passes became relevant again during his first training camp session with the Steelers when linebacker Patrick Queen intercepted his initial pass attempt. The incident attracted significant attention but did not seem to affect team sentiment toward Rodgers’ performance or abilities.
Teammates have since noted an increase in Rodgers’ use of no-look passes at practice sessions. Heyward remarked specifically that Queen wanted him to discontinue this approach. Meanwhile, several teammates have commended Rodgers for what they consider “elite skills.”
Rodgers also commented positively on Matthew Stafford‘s skill with no-look passes, referencing Stafford’s performance in Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals.
With preseason evaluations ongoing and anticipation building around new partnerships—such as between Rodgers and Metcalf—the broader impact of these techniques remains to be seen as Pittsburgh begins its campaign.
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