Steelers HC Mike Tomlin jokes that he won't go on Aaron Rodgers' darkness retreat
One aspect that both Cam Heyward and Mike Tomlin share regarding the potential arrival of four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers is a refusal to go on the infamous darkness retreat with him.
Back in 2023, Rodgers referenced the darkness retreat on The Pat McAfee Show when asked how he would decide on his then-Packers future—little did he know it would become a running joke for years to come.
Heyward made headlines when he first commented on the arrival of Rodgers in the Steel City, stating that he wouldn't go on a darkness retreat to recruit him—just as Tomlin later explained why he wouldn't either.
During the 2025 NFL Annual League Meeting, Tomlin jokingly explained why the Rodgers-darkness retreat was the last thing on his mind:
"No, I'm not going to do that," Tomlin said with a laugh. "I got too much other business going on."
Ultimately, a large portion of the Pittsburgh Steelers fanbase may retreat into the darkness if Rodgers comes to the Steel City in 2025, as news and speculation of his arrival have been met with resistance from the Black and Gold faithful.
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