Aaron Rodgers showed up to Steelers minicamp with a fresh uniform and a familiar grip- firm, confident, and unmistakably secure. His debut with Pittsburgh immediately shifted focus not only to the 41-year-old quarterback’s leadership but also to his hands. Yes, his hands.
That’s because Rodgers’ arrival indirectly rekindled one of the most talked-about details from Kenny Pickett’s early NFL days: his hand size.
Pickett, now with the Browns, continues to deal with the scrutiny that followed him into the league from the NFL Combine, and Rodgers’ practice debut only made the contrast more glaring.
A Stark Quarterback Contrast
Rodgers didn’t replace Pickett directly, but he might as well have for comparison. The 10 1/8-inch span of Rodgers’ hands became an unlikely talking point after a photo from his first practice with the Steelers began circulating online. The image, which shows his fingers almost meeting around the football, reignited the long-standing conversation about what NFL scouts once called Pickett’s biggest red flag: his grip.
Pickett famously tried hand-stretching exercises before the 2022 Draft, hoping to ease the concerns. Still, he measured in at 8 1/2 inches, small by league standards. He even skipped measurements at the Senior Bowl, only to go through with it at the Combine under mounting pressure. A botched snap didn’t help his case at his first Steelers training camp. Neither did a fumble against the Eagles that some fans compared to something out of a cartoon.
Now in Cleveland, Pickett finds himself in a crowded quarterback room. The Browns traded a fifth-round pick and Dorian Thompson-Robinson to get him, and he’s currently battling two rookies and veteran Joe Flacco for the starting job. Onlookers at Browns minicamp didn’t miss the contrast either, especially with Flacco, who stands 6-foot-6 and has considerably larger hands, under center beside him.
Rodgers isn’t fielding hand-size questions, he’s focused on settling into Pittsburgh and leading a team lacking veteran QB presence since Ben Roethlisberger. While the Steelers’ bet on Rodgers raises questions, none concern his grip. Fans won’t miss the glove jokes; Pickett moved on, but the conversation hasn’t.
