Steelers’ Tomlin says Aaron Rodgers (calf) fine after practice misstep

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Aaron Rodgers is feeling old, as his longevity in the NFL has surpassed that of his preferred helmet model. But any concerns over his 41-year-old body taking another hit Tuesday were quickly put to rest.

Rodgers needed his calf wrapped after he was stepped on during the final practice of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, but coach Mike Tomlin was unconcerned after Rodgers was able to finish practice.

Rookie Derrick Harmon bull-rushed an offensive lineman into Pittsburgh’s new quarterback, and Rodgers lower leg was accidentally stepped on in the process.

Per reports from camp in Latrobe, Pa., Rodgers had scratches on his right shin and athletic trainers applied a bag of ice. The trainers wrapped his calf, and he returned to the drill without missing a rep.

“He just got stepped on,” Tomlin said afterward. “It was nothing of any significance. He finished his work.”

Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles on his fourth snap as a New York Jet in 2023, but that injury was to his left leg, not his right.

Rodgers spoke to reporters before practice, where the focus was more on his new helmet, the Schutt Air XP Pro VTD II. Rodgers had to pick a new model because his previous one, the Schutt Air XP Pro Q11 LTD, is no longer sanctioned because it doesn’t meet the league’s evolved safety standards.

“I don’t like it, no,” Rodgers said Tuesday. “I’m trying to change. We’re in the process still. It looks like a damn spaceship out there.

“We got to change it. The face mask doesn’t fit the helmet because that’s an old face mask, obviously just like I’m old, but we’re trying to find the right helmet right now.”

–Field Level Media