Aaron Rodgers is addressing the elephant in the room now that he is kicking off training camp with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The four-time NFL MVP Rodgers was interviewed by NFL Network at team training camp on Saturday. During the interview, Rodgers got asked about retired Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw’s harsh criticisms of him.
Before Rodgers formally signed with Pittsburgh last month, Bradshaw made some savage comments about the possibility of the move. Bradshaw said that Rodgers should “stay in California” and “go somewhere and chew on bark and whisper to the gods out there” (read Bradshaw’s full comments here).
Rodgers responded on Saturday and did his best to take the high road and show deference to Bradshaw.
“Well, I whisper to the gods every single day,” Rodgers said. “I’ve known Terry for a long time, being a part of FOX. Terry’s a legend. He’s an absolute legend, won four Super Bowls. He’s had a legendary career in the media. But Terry, like a lot of people, doesn’t know me. He’s got an idea of what he thinks about me … I feel like if he gave me a chance to get to know him, then we’d have a good friendship.”
“I’d love to get to know Terry on a deeper level,” added Rodgers. “I feel like if he gave me a chance to get to know him, we’d have a great friendship. For me, I have nothing but the utmost amount of respect and deference for what the greats have done. Because they laid the foundation for us to be able to play in this great game.
“We’re standing on the backs of those guys,” Rodgers continued. “It’s because of how they played and how they carried themselves that we’re able to have this opportunity to still play this great game, to get paid really well, to set ourselves up for our future. So I’d love to get to know Terry on a deeper level if he’s open to it. And maybe we can go chew some bark or whatever the hell he’s talking about together.”
Here is the full clip of Rodgers’ remarks.
Terry Bradshaw said Aaron Rodgers should:
— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) July 26, 2025
“Stay in California, chew on bark, and whisper to the gods.”
Here is the new Steelers QB’s response pic.twitter.com/hUxYmH6Fle
That was a pretty classy and well-handled response by Rodgers. But his dynamic with Bradshaw may be a bit more complicated than that.
Video evidence has circulated on social media suggesting that Bradshaw has a personal vendetta against Rodgers dating back several years. Additionally, there was a belief that Rodgers joining the Steelers would lead to an awkward situation involving him and Bradshaw.
That said, Rodgers, 41, is officially in Pittsburgh (at least for the 2025 season) and is now showing his respect for the greatest quarterback in Steelers history. Whether or not Bradshaw, 76, takes the olive branch that Rodgers is extending to him may be a different story though.
