PITTSBURGH —As he ushered the Pittsburgh Steelers down the field late on Sunday night, the melody Aaron Rodgers said would be flowing through his head was appropriate.
"It was all a dream, saw it in my head, now it's what I see," mike. serenades in the opening verse of "Malibu Breeze," the relaxed-vibe song and 23rd track on the lows.
A four-time Associated Press NFL MVP and future Pro Football Hall of Famer, Rodgers has become known for his knack to deliver when needed most. To cap a 6-play, 65-yard march with 55 seconds to go in the fourth quarter, Rodgers connected with Calvin Austin III down the left sideline for a 26-yard, go-ahead touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday night, helping the Steelers win 26-24.
Later, a video resurfaced of a fan asking Rodgers during a pre-mike. concert Q&A what song he'd be reciting in his head during an identical two-minute drill. The musician posted it to his Instagram account and called it a "wink from the universe."
Following the victory, Steelers receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling praised the veteran signal-caller's steadying presence.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers during a game against the Baltimore Ravens on Jan. 4, 2026,. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
"This is my fifth year playing with him, and there's never (been) a time where I feel like we're going to lose it," said Valdes-Scantling, who also played with Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers from 2018-21. "With him running the show, saying 'Hey, let's go no-huddle, two-minute' and calling the plays, he's gonna make the right play, man. More times than not. I've been in a lot of game-winning drives with him, lot of big plays with him. That's why he's the best to ever do it."
Before earning that sort of respect, Rodgers was a young fan who admired leaders who came through in pressure-filled situations, hoping to be in their shoes one day with his teammates fully trusting him.
"That's what you want. When you're a kid and you grow up and you watch your idols, for me it was the guys with the ball in their hand late in the game," Rodgers said Thursday. "And it was Joe Montana and Steve Young, and Michael Jordan . The conversation around a lot of those guys was there's an incredible belief that when it's the last seconds and MJ's got the ball in his hands, he's gonna make it.
"(When) Joe's making comments about John Candy up in the stands, everybody kinda has a belief they're gonna go down and score. So when you grow up reading about that stuff and want to emulate your idols, you want to have that belief from your teammates that when we get the ball in that situation with 2:20 (left), there's not a doubt in their mind we're gonna go down and score."
Steelers star outside linebacker T.J. Watt grew up in Wisconsin, watching Rodgers come through time and again. According to Pro Football Reference, Rodgers' effort as time drained in the loser-goes-home clash with the Ravens was his 25th career fourth-quarter comeback and his 37th game-winning drive.
Watt wasn't expecting anything less.
"It was a weird no-panic feeling. Just calm," Watt said. "It was just confident. We've seen him work a two-minute drill so many times. We've seen those ball at the two-yard line, seven-shot-type plays so many times, and just complete confidence in him and the offense."
Longtime Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward , who Rodgers took the team's elder statesman title from when he arrived, raved about his passer, as well.
"T.J. said to me, he was like, 'That's why we brought him here,'" Heyward said. "He delivered. … I think it's just his unwavering mindset. He's able to steer the ship. He doesn't get too high. He doesn't get too low. He's able to challenge guys. But you never feel like the momentum has got him or he's out of sorts. He reads the game, understands what the team is trying to do in certain situations and he knows how to manipulate a clock, a coverage.
"To have a guy that has seen every type of defense, allows you to go into a lot of gunfights, and feel like you have a chance."
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers during a game against the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 7, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Rodgers didn't want to disappoint those counting on him.
"When you're in those moments, you don't wanna let the other guy down. That's my mindset in a moment like that," Rodgers said. "I know why I'm here and why they brought me here, and I gotta come through in those moments because I don't wanna let my teammates down, Mike (Tomlin) down, Arthur (Smith) down, Mr. Rooney, all those guys."
In such a tense moment, was Rodgers really reciting that song in his head, though?
"Yeah, usually," he said.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Why Steelers Trust Aaron Rodgers When Chips Fall: 'Never a Time Where I Feel Like We're Going to Lose'
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