‘I felt like a rookie again’: Adam Thielen explains how mentally taxing it is to play with Aaron Rodgers

The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a new head coach on the sideline next season in Mike McCarthy, after 19 seasons with Mike Tomlin leading the franchise. Veteran quarterback and four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers will serve as a bridge between the eras, as he was Tomlin’s last starting quarterback in the Steel City and will be McCarthy’s first.

Rodgers has already announced that he intends for this season to be his last in the NFL, but the Steelers don’t have to worry that they’ll be getting a lax version of Rodgers in the twilight of his career.

Recently retired wide receiver Adam Thielen, who ended his career with the Steelers last season, spoke candidly about just how rigorous it was mentally with Rodgers as his quarterback.

“It’s the most stressed I’ve been in my entire career,” Thielen said on Sirius XM NFL Radio, via Steelers Depot. “I felt like I was a rookie again. You kinda like, I don’t know what he’s gonna say, and I hope I know what he says, cause if I don’t, I’m gonna get my butt chewed and I’m never gonna get the ball. So I better lock in every second of every day, or he’s gonna rip me apart.

Retired WR Adam Thielen on Sirius XM NFL Radio on his time playing with Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh: “It’s the most stressed I’ve been in my entire career. I felt like I was a rookie again. You kinda like, I don’t know what he’s gonna say, and I hope I know what he says, cause if…

— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) July 8, 2026

“It’s a good thing; it’s why he’s had a lot of success. Because he demands so much out of everybody. And everybody’s the same. Whether you’re a rookie or a veteran, whether you’ve caught a million balls from him or zero.”

While it may not be for the faint of heart, Rodgers’ methods still clearly pay dividends, considering Pittsburgh won the AFC North with him under center last season. This year, Rodgers and McCarthy will look to build on that success and end the Steelers’ decade-long drought of playoff wins. For that to happen, though, Rodgers’ teammates will clearly need to bring their best every day.

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