Reporters from The Athletic are covering live coverage of the Texans vs. Steelers game in the wild card round of the NFL playoffs.

PITTSBURGH — The tradition began a few years ago out of self-preservation, or perhaps self-defense, when bad blood in the AFC North reached a boiling point.

The rivalry between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens has always been one of mutual respect. What about the game against the Cincinnati Bengals, led by Pacman Jones and Vontaze Burfict? All bets are off. Who knew what would be thrown from the stands – guilty contempt, adult beverages, anything else.

About 10 years ago, coach Mike Tomlin and defensive captain Cameron Heyward decided it would be best to leave the field together. Match after match. Every year, every year. Slowly, it turned into something else. What started out as a pragmatic decision turned into a sentimental moment as the NFL’s longest-tenured coach and the Steelers’ longest-tenured player celebrated their most thrilling victories together or encouraged each other after their most gut-wrenching losses. This tradition remained unchanged until last September.

We’re talking about Week 1, which took place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. In his first game as a Steeler, Aaron Rodgers overcame a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit and drove 39 yards for the game-winning field goal. When Rodgers finished his on-field interview with CBS, he started walking off the field and noticed Tomlin and Hayward waiting for him. There was a third member in the ceremony, which was just the two of them.

“Me and Mike T. were talking about it, and he was like, ‘Let’s take this old guy with us,'” Hayward recalls. “We wanted him to experience what it’s like to be a Pittsburgh Steeler, and we wanted to bring him into it and show him that we’re with you on this journey, this journey. You don’t have to walk it alone.”

The three men shook hands and exchanged smiles. Tomlin pointed at the people passing around the Terrible Towel and tipped his hat. Rodgers was booed relentlessly by the New York fans who once saw him as a savior, and he put his hands over his ears to taunt those who tried to mock him.

In recent years, the chorus of criticism surrounding Tomlin and Rodgers has spread far beyond MetLife Stadium.

For Rodgers, it’s often about what happens off the field. His outspoken political views made him a lightning rod in a turbulent climate. His outspoken criticism of his teammates in New York led some to question his leadership style, such as when he said receiver Mike Williams needed to run along the “red line” after a game-clinching interception. This offseason, when Rodgers remained indecisive about extending his career, former Steelers QB Terry Bradshaw said Rodgers should stay in California and “chew the bark and whisper to God.”

For Tomlin, results on the field are more important. Did you know he never had a losing season? What was once considered a compliment is now something of a joke, at least in some parts of Pittsburgh. Stuck in football purgatory — good enough to finish above .500 but never good enough to legitimately contend — the Steelers haven’t won in the playoffs since the 2016 season, complicating their manager’s legacy and leaving their fan base hungry for more wins.

“It’s not about the organization or me. It’s about this group, and frankly, most of these guys don’t care (the playoff drought),” Tomlin said this week. “Most of them are new to us, so that’s my focus. I’m certainly not going to be unpacking on a collective bed.”

When the two men, who were on opposite sides of Super Bowl 45, got together this offseason, Rodgers said he no longer “needs” football and has no desire to prove anything to anyone. But this season showed they needed each other to rewrite the story, to give Rodgers a more fitting final chapter after two disastrous years in New York, and potentially to help fill the recent gaping hole in Tomlin’s resume.

The rented white Chevrolet Malibu drove through Pittsburgh’s Southside neighborhood along the banks of the Monongahela River and into a back gate behind the Steelers’ facility. The driver jumped out, wearing dark aviator sunglasses and a plain black hat.

Mr. Rogers’ secret visit in April was just part of a long courtship that included several misinformation over a period of months of indecision. Several members of Rodgers’ inner circle were having health issues at the time, and the four-time MVP was unable to fully commit to the day-to-day demands of NFL life. While any other coach would have grown tired of the process and gone in another direction, Tomlin may have been the coach with the greatest patience. He values ​​his players as people above all else, and even knows details like their high school’s mascot and their hometown area code.

During those months, Tomlin remembered the names of important people in Rogers’ life and asked Rogers enough detailed questions without prying that he allowed Rogers to prioritize his personal life. Whether they realized it at the time or not, these were pivotal moments in both their football careers.

The head coach-quarterback relationship is an important and unique bond for any football team. As the team grows, these two individuals stand as pillars of leadership, stabilizing the foundation on which success is built. If they are not connected, the season and franchise will fall apart. Even before Mr. Rogers took his vows, he and Mr. Tomlin had begun building bridges.

“I think we have to be connected,” Tomlin said this week when asked about the importance of the quarterback-head-coach relationship. “Leadership comes with solitude, and with leadership comes responsibility. So I’ve learned over the years that you have to embrace that element, you have to spend time together, you have to understand.

“Certainly, it’s been a fun process for Aaron. It’s been really fun because he’s so greedy for it. He loves the process as much as competing. He has a great relationship with football.”

In many ways, Rodgers and Tomlin should be able to relate to each other. Both sides have shared inflated expectations created by fan bases with an insatiable appetite for trophies. Rodgers played in Titletown. Tomlin coaches in the City of Champions. Rodgers has inherited the near-impossible task of following Brett Favre. Tomlin leads a franchise that has always been compared to Chuck Noll’s four-time Super Bowl dynasty. This season, both teams have reached important milestones set by their predecessors. Rodgers surpassed Favre as the all-time leader in touchdown passes, and Tomlin tied Noll with 193 regular-season wins.

That allowed Tomlin to get his QB back and vice versa. In Week 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers, Rodgers had his worst game as a Steeler and one of the worst of his entire career, at least statistically, throwing two interceptions and getting sacked by a safety. In the middle of the postgame press conference, Tomlin asked a fairly bland open-ended question.

What do you make of Aaron’s performance tonight?

“What do you do?” Tomlin jokingly retorted. “Next.”

The brief deflection was effective and prevented further questions about Rodgers’ mismanagement. A few weeks later, Rodgers returned the favor. When the Buffalo Bills beat the Steelers at Acresure Stadium in Week 13, fans chanted, “Shoot Tomlin.” The following week, Rodgers had his best game of the season to that point against the Baltimore Ravens, throwing for a then-season high 284 yards and two touchdowns, improving the Steelers’ record to 7-6. He also ran into the end zone when the play broke down, scoring his first rushing touchdown since 2022.

As much as Rodgers’ play on the field got the Steelers back on the road to the playoffs, there may have been an even bigger reaction in his postgame press conference in Baltimore. When asked what the win meant to him after a tumultuous week, Rodgers grinned.

“So you’re probably going to be quiet for a week,” Rogers said.

Mr. Rogers echoed that sentiment this week.

“At 6-6, a lot of people thought we were going to stumble to the finish, but you never know what happens after that,” Rodgers said. “Many of you in this group (media) have probably been talking publicly and privately about the firing of Mike T. So I think it’s a good thing to shut down all of those comments.”

The victory began a four-game winning streak in five games to lift the Steelers into the playoffs. In the days leading up to Monday night’s playoff game against the Houston Texans, Rodgers used his media availability to publicly support Tomlin again.

“Something is always going to happen,” the quarterback said. “You know, when I was a young player, I was told that I wasn’t considered elite until I won a playoff game. Then, until I won a Super Bowl… and then I said, ‘Oh, you haven’t won MVP yet.’

“In Mike T’s case, he’s had, what, 19 consecutive undefeated seasons? So they’ve got to find something to go after him. But Mike T, probably like me, didn’t really appreciate any of those comments. But it’s good (to quiet the outside noise) because we all love him and we all want to play for him and we want to win for him.”

Rogers’ personality, political views, and leadership style may not be suitable for everyone. But it resonates with the young Steelers offense. Shortly after signing with Rodgers, he invited his teammates to his house in Malibu, where they hung out on the beach, went to the gym, and went to dinner together.

“I think he got some bad press in the media or something,” receiver Scotty Miller said. “It just showed us the kind of person he is and who he wants to be as a leader and as a teammate.”

A self-described perfectionist, Rogers sets high standards for himself. He expects the same from his teammates. In nearly every game this year, Rodgers has been caught on camera barking at teammates after missing connections. Perhaps the best example of this was when Rodgers broke his wrist. Before going to the sideline for medical attention, he ran to the goal line, got in receiver Roman Wilson’s face and yelled that he had made a mistake.

Mr. Rogers also has the freedom to run meetings every Thursday. He stands in front of the offensive line as rookie QB Will Howard operates a computer.

“I’m really grateful,” Rogers said. “That’s what I told Mr. Rooney, Andy (Weidl) and Omar (Khan). Just to be invited to be a part of this team, to have a strong bond with the players, to have them put their arm around me and let me be myself, listen to me, lead me and inspire me the same way they did. This team is a good group of players.”

Part of the reason it worked is that Tomlin gave Rodgers the freedom to lead his way.

“I think if you want to bring out the best in someone, especially someone in a leadership position, you have to do it in a natural way and in your own voice,” Tomlin said. “To ask them to be someone[they’re not]or to not do things in a real, natural, organic way is to cut the leadership leg out from under them. So I think it’s remiss to ask him to be anything other than himself.”

With 55 seconds left and the Ravens leading by four points in the Steelers’ huddle, Rodgers turned to receiver Calvin Austin III and asked, “What (route) do you want on the backside?”

Austin couldn’t find a clear answer.

“Someone to my right, I don’t know if it was (Mason) McCormick or Pat (Friermuth), just said, ‘Try cooking,'” Rogers recalled. “I said, ‘Okay, Cal, you’re going to hitch and go.'”

The agile Austin soared into the air. His stuttering step caused Ravens cornerback Chidobe Awuzie to freeze, causing him to slip and fall. Rodgers struck for the first touchdown.

Moments later, Rodgers watched as Ravens kicker Tyler Roop made the potential game-winning field goal. When the kick flew wide to the right, a wave of mixed emotions washed over him. chaos. Distrust. Thank you.

Tomlin held out his arm to Rodgers as celebration spread across the field. Soon they were enveloped in a hug.

“Thanks, dude,” Tomlin said.

“I love you, dude,” Rogers said. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

“Are you kidding me?” Tomlin said. “Thank you for coming.”

Rodgers and Hayward left the field together with Tomlin.