Xbox, cards and his NFL 'love affair' - is this Rodgers' last dance?

For all the NFL has come to learn about Aaron Rodgers across his storied career, he will have no plans to go quietly. 

If this is to be his final year, it wouldn't quite feel in the nature of the four-time MVP to depart without a dose of nostalgia, a serving of drama and just a few more flashes of his Hall of Fame-bound talent.

Rodgers and football take the first steps towards discovering what more there might be to offer when the 41-year-old makes his regular-season bow for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their opening game against the New York Jets this Sunday, live on Sky Sports NFL.

Pittsburgh's ongoing pursuit of answers at quarterback had led them to Rodgers this offseason as he signed a one-year deal after moving on from a foiled tenure with the New York Jets. Head coach Mike Tomlin insists that, regardless of his age, Rodgers' investment in the game remains unwavering.

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"Just to be around him day to day to see the love affair that he has with this game," Tomlin told Sky Sports.

"Certainly, talent is required to do it, and particularly at the level that he's done it. But there's a commitment there that's not often recognised and certainly not often talked about enough.

"You don't fall into the career that he's had, right? He's super talented. He's got a super relationship and a lot of respect for the game.

"He pours himself into it daily. He engages with teammates while doing it, and thus trains them to do it. It's just been fun day to day."

The question as to who will emerge as chief beneficiaries of the other will be answered in the coming months. But between them, Rodgers and wide receiver D.K. Metcalf have the potential to become a prolific face of a Steelers offense that has otherwise hobbled through the post-Ben Roethlisberger era.

Metcalf signed a five-year, $150m extension with the Steelers in the offseason following his arrival in a trade from the Seattle Seahawks. Discussion over how Rodgers might utilise both him and George Pickens proved irrelevant when the latter headed to Dallas.

Even now, the prospect of playing with Rodgers is a sell.

"When I first found out that I could have the opportunity to play with a gold jacket guy like Aaron Rodgers, it was just a great opportunity for me, not just as a receiver but just to learn more knowledge from him as still a young player in my career," Metcalf told Sky Sports.

"He's played, you know, 20 years in the league. He's seen a lot of football, so just to learn from him, pick his brain, and just also just hang out with him and just get to know who he is as a person is just great."

Rodgers has, so far, been unsuccessful in his bid to win a second ring since leading the Packers to Super Bowl XLV success in 2011.

Few, if any, in the league have seen as much or witnessed football evolve in as many ways as Rodgers. And while the mobility and off-platform artistry had visibly declined in New York - where his time was marred by a year-ending Achilles injury in his first season - there were still glimpses of arm talent capable of troubling defenses.

"You are going to try your hardest not to let the ball hit the ground once you got that rapport off the field," Metcalf added.

"And I know I'm just trying to work that much harder, not only for him, but for guys like Patrick Queen, Cam Heyward, TJ Watt, Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay."

Rodgers is gearing up for his 21st season in the NFL while holding a career record of 153-87-1 as a starter, seventh in history among quarterbacks with at least 150 starts. He enters the campaign ranked fifth in all-time touchdown passes, just five behind Brett Favre.

"He's lived a lot of life and he's had a great number of success that I'm trying to get as well," said Metcalf. "So just to pick his brain about life stuff and football stuff has just been a great opportunity."

Familiar frustration at quarterback for the Steelers has been largely fuelled by the inability to support or reward what, for so long, has been one of the NFL's most talented defenses.

At the forefront of which lies TJ Watt, who just signed a three-year $123m extension having led the NFL with 108 sacks since entering the league in 2017.

The Steelers pass rusher has welcomed Rodgers' impact both on and off the field.

"Oh, it's been huge," Watt told Sky Sports. "Obviously, everybody knows what he can do on the field.

"He has really good zip to the football. He gets the ball out quick, a lot of adjustments at the line of scrimmage. He has a great cadence.

"And then off the field, he's been great. He really has been he's been an open book to a lot of guys. He's been hanging out, playing cards, playing Xbox, all that stuff. So it's been a treat."

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