Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is a shining example of the concept that many people don't truly know what they want until they're shown something different, as his Week 1 win against his old team in the New York Jets shows that the Steelers have fulfilled a wish Rodgers may not have even known he wanted.
Part of why Rodgers failed on the field with the Jets was his desire to bring in old buddy Nathaniel Hackett, who no other team would touch with a 10-foot pole, as offense coordinator. His outdated scheme is one of many reasons the Jets looked as inept as they did.
The Steelers weren't going to let Hackett, or any other hand-picked OC, dictate things. Instead, they paired Rodgers up with Arthur Smith, who had some solid moments last season. The result against a Jets defense that came into the season with a good deal of hype was extremely encouraging.
Not only did Rodgers throw four touchdown passes in a win, but he did so without a great performance from his offensive line while throwing the ball to exactly one above-average receiver in DK Metcalf (who struggled against Sauce Gardner). Rodgers' wish for a coordinator who blends his scheme with Rodgers' favorite plays has been granted.
Pittsburgh Steelers granted Aaron Rodgers' wish for a better OC
While Smith proved that he is not a terrific head coach after three straight 7-10 seasons in charge of the Atlanta Falcons, his offensive brilliance has never been in doubt. Those 7-10 seasons came with three different starting quarterbacks, including Desmond Ridder and the ghost of Matt Ryan.
Hackett was so inept that Rodgers was essentially taking over as the psuedo-offensive coordinator in charge of calling his own plays. That workload is too strenuous for the modern game, as Rodgers found out. Smith can gradually take some of that responsibility away from him.
As long as the Steelers can find a way to keep an immobile Rodgers upright in the pocket, his performance against the Jets suggests that his football brain and Hall of Fame-level right arm are still effective enough to give teams pause for thought as they try to figure out ways to stop him.
Now that Rodgers is done controlling everything, and he is paired with an offensive coordinator who is not going to lie down and defer to No. 8 on everything in Smith, the Steelers may finally be able to break through in a crowded AFC.