PITTSBURGH — As a crowd of us gathered around Aaron Rodgers on Tuesday afternoon, the quarterback’s first comments with the Steelers following a minicamp session when he largely stuck to individual work, Mike Tomlin sat alone just a few feet away at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex and gazed out toward the practice fields.

The scene was striking and perhaps in some creative writer’s mind a metaphor ... though really it came down to timing.

At minimum, the circus surrounding the Rodgers saga has flipped Pittsburgh into football’s most ironic outpost, a place where 9-8 or 10-7 has never been so interesting, the city where things never change until unprecedented newness arrives and the setting where a horde of national media turned to digest the first chapter in this fascinating marriage.

Two heavyweights, joined at the hip, their recent baggage and shared motivation fueling a desire to finally join forces.

'“I think it starts with Mike Tomlin,” Rodgers said, explaining why he signed with the Steelers. “I’ve been a fan of his for a long time. There are a few iconic franchises in the NFL. I played for one of them for 18 years. This is another one. There’s something special about this area.”

Rodgers would name drop a bunch of Pittsburgh natives who’ve influenced him, saying the city has already been a huge part of his career. Meanwhile, Tomlin invited us to peruse the legendary quarterback’s resume when it comes to what he might be able to bring to the field and the locker room.

“We’re excited about him being here,” Tomlin said. “He’s excited about being here. But we’ll make no bold predictions. We’ll just roll our sleeves up, go to work and let our efforts do the talking.”

It’s the right way to handle things, of course.

Even Rodgers struck a bunch of appropriate notes during his first media session. Among the highlights:

— Is he the guy to end this lengthy playoff drought? “It’s the first day of minicamp. I’m just taking it one day at a time.”

— On the (lengthy) lag between when he visited Pittsburgh and signing: “I don’t want to short change the guys and be signed and be elsewhere mentally and physically. Until I could be here and be all in, I needed to take care of my business.”

— Rodgers wants to bring some Steelers skill guys to Malibu, Calif., to throw. He also complimented Will Howard and explained he’s playing because he still finds this fun, calling his decision to sign with the Steelers one “that was best for my soul.”

It was all sort of surreal, honestly.

Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh, a Steeler at last, the 41-year-old, first-ballot Hall of Famer talking about getting lost in the facility or being eager to meet more fans. Imagine telling yourself this would happen 10 or 15 years ago.

Also wild is the fact the Steelers have very much become must-see TV, a national story and the talk of the league. It’s not every day you can say that about a group with the following qualifications:

— A quarterback with a rating of 90.7 since 2022, which is actually worse than Russell Wilson’s (92.2).

— A team where the offensive and defensive lines were huge problems down the stretch in 2024.

— Where the starting running back (Jaylen Warren) has never started an NFL game.

— Where the team’s best player, T.J. Watt, isn’t here due to a contract issue.

— And also where there’s a new No. 1 wide receiver, a No. 2 who’s probably still to be determined and no shortage of questions about the viability of the offense.

Weird place to cut to for news if you’re NFL Network, huh?

Not if you read the play the way Rodgers did for much of Tuesday — helmet off, hat on, consulting a play sheet and listening to calls in the earpiece of a new helmet he apparently hates. (Rodgers said his 20-year-old Schutt model was deemed unsafe and he’s less than thrilled about finding something else.)

But the dichotomy here is hilarious. It’s as stark as Rodgers talking in front of a gaggle (perhaps multiple gaggles) while Tomlin enjoyed a quiet break from the on-deck circle.

After all, it was Tomlin who brought Rodgers here, the quarterback would confirm. It was Tomlin’s patience and understanding that did it. When Rodgers knew he wanted to play, he told us it was Pittsburgh or retirement thanks to how Tomlin handled him.

Now that Rodgers has decided to make Pittsburgh home, I still can’t believe it. The offseason gift that kept on giving continuing on into the regular season, truly like a subscription to the jelly of the month club.

“I think the sky’s the limit,” Zach Frazier said. “The goal is to put up a lot of points every game. That’s what we’re here to do.”

“Obviously with Aaron Rodgers, it’s Aaron Rodgers,” Pat Freiermuth added. “There’s a lot of media attention.”

My favorite interaction Tuesday came from Howard, who said he stumbled into Rodgers for the first time as they were both leaving the locker room. The friendly kid from Ohio State actually managed to get out a couple words, too.

Howard told us sort of sheepishly that he was 3 when Rodgers was drafted. He watched Rodgers beat the Steelers in the Super Bowl and has idolized him throughout his career. But he was also planning on treading lightly when it came to the age thing.

“I don’t want to make him feel old,” Howard said.

I’ll give Rodgers this: It was only one day, but he didn’t look old. Whether it was the zip on his throws or how he moved — he did not look like Kent Graham 2.0 — I liked what I saw from Rodgers.

I was an even bigger fan of the buy-in you could sense from the Steelers’ new quarterback, who met with his teammates Tuesday morning and delivered what was apparently a convincing message about wanting to be here, wanting to win and everyone growing together.

“This is a blue-collar town,” Rodgers said. “The history of this area built the structure of our country.

“It’s a great fan base. I’ve played here over the years. They have their own song they play late in the third or early in the fourth quarter. It’s a special place to play sports. I’m excited to meet more fans.”

We’re excited to learn, too.

To read Chapters 2, 3, 4 and so on. With so many questions to answer, it’s impossible to say on June 10 whether the Steelers will be any good. But they’ll absolutely be interesting.

We all have Aaron Rodgers to thank for that.

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