The Pittsburgh Steelers experienced a little bit of a late start working with veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers during offseason workouts. Rodgers signed a one-year deal with the Steelers on June 5, which was just ahead of the team’s minicamp.
But while no Pittsburgh pass-catcher has any previous game experience with Rodgers, Steelers wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni possesses a little. Azzanni was the New York Jets wide receivers coach in 2023, which was Rodgers’ first year in New York.
Azzanni explained that prepared him to know what demands to expect from the veteran quarterback in Pittsburgh.
“I love that challenge,” Azzanni told ESPN’s Brooke Pryor last week. “I like that [Rodgers is demanding of his receivers]. I’d rather have someone that’s dialed into the detail in the perimeter, and those guys ultimately have to be on the same page.
“I understand that he’s hard on receivers, and I like that because I’m hard on receivers.”
Azzanni is entering his second season as Steelers wide receivers coach. It’s his ninth year coaching wideouts in the NFL overall.
Prior to the Jets in 2022, Azzanni coach with the Chicago Bears in 2017 and the Denver Broncos from 2018-22.
Zach Azzanni Pushing Steelers WR to Fulfill Aaron Rodgers Demands
Azzanni’s job hasn’t exactly been easier in the year-plus he has spent with the Steelers. Last year, the team entered 2024 with one proven receiver.
Although Calvin Austin III experienced somewhat of a breakout campaign in 2024, a lot of pundits would argue the Steelers will once again enter 2025 with one threatening wideout. The Steelers acquired DK Metcalf this offseason, but the team traded George Pickens, who was the team’s top receiver in 2024, to the Dallas Cowboys.
Azzanni, though, has appeared to be the perfect guy to be Pittsburgh’s receivers coach. He hasn’t allowed the less-than-stellar NFL resumes for a lot of guys in the receiver room to be an excuse.
Instead, he’s instilled a strong work ethic in the group.
“When you’re a less-than-talented player like myself, but you’re able to play, you find ways to make yourself relevant,” Azzanni told Pryor. “I always said if I ever had a bunch of really talented guys and we also played that way, the sky’s the limit. You got to get the right guys to buy into that. We have the right guys, too.
“We’re crucial in the run game. The run game sets up the pass game, so we want to be known as that. We play in the AFC North. We play for the Steelers, so we got to instill that back in this room and get that old school mentality back.”
The Steelers do want to deploy an “old-school” offense in the sense that they desire to run the ball and play defense to win. That requires receivers that are willing to block and wideouts wanting to share the limelight with fewer targets to go around.
There’s also potentially fewer snaps for receivers because of offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s affinity with playing multi-tight end sets.
‘Grimy’ the Optimal Word Around Steelers WR Room
“Hardworking” could easily be the best adjective to summarize the Steelers receiver room this offseason. But Azzanni and the group have chosen a different one according to Pryor — grimy.
Both Austin and veteran Robert Woods stressed to Pryor that the Steelers wideouts will be “grimy” this season.
“We’re going to be physical in our room. We’re going to be grimy; we’re going to be fighting to the end of the whistle,” Woods told Pryor. “Playing with — and without — the football, I think, is the biggest thing in our room.”
The Steelers receivers aren’t talented enough to be anything less and fulfill Rodgers’ demands. The wideouts will have to be grimy to meet Azzanni’s standards as well.
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