PITTSBURGH — One had a personality that reportedly grated on people over time, a me-first attitude that didn't sit well with teammates.

Aaron Rodgers or George Pickens?

It's an interesting discussion now that one has arrived and another has left. They also became intertwined this past week when ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the Steelers traded Pickens because they didn't think he and Rodgers would mesh.

If that was indeed the thinking, the Steelers probably aren't wrong. It's also not a bad thing.

This past year, the Pickens scale finally tipped in favor of the off-field headaches outweighing his production. It also started to become counterproductive to what should be the Steelers' ultimate goal: better than 10-7 and actually doing something in the playoffs.

The best version of Rodgers could help the Steelers do that. He's certainly not what he once was, but the upgrade Rodgers offers over Mason Rudolph or Will Howard wasn't hard to see at the team's recent minicamp.

It's football in shorts, yes. Only so much should be gleaned. But the ball came out of Rodgers' hand differently — and I don't just mean his varied arm slots. His lateral mobility was decent enough. And the 41-year-old seemingly did plenty to hop aboard the moving train.

In much smoother fashion than expected, too.

We were told Rodgers would sign publicly during Pat McAfee's "Big Night AHT" at PPG Paints Arena, the circus in full force. Instead, news broke on a random Thursday afternoon.

Rodgers didn't skip the entire offseason; he was present for minicamp the next week. His introduction also wasn't some grandiose thing. He spoke on the field after practice, the same as other Steelers with status.

Reality crushed perception in a few other ways, too.

All that money the Steelers were supposedly going to pay Rodgers? He signed for a guaranteed $10 million, the same as he said he would on "The Pat McAfee Show."

Instead of being prickly, distant or weird, Rodgers was cordial with us and cracked a few jokes; complimented Mike Tomlin a bunch; chatted up Rudolph and began mentoring Howard; and then threw himself full force into quietly and thoroughly learning the offense.

Some guy, huh?

"I just want to be a servant leader here, pass on the knowledge that I have over 20 years and the experience," Rodgers said. "Just try to fit in with the guys, get to know them, have them get to know me and enjoy the process."

OK. But how does Pickens fit into that?

Right, he doesn't.

That's why I think the Steelers arrived at their decision to trade Pickens, although I believe the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac, who said the quarterback signing (something they expected all along) wasn't related to the wide receiver trade.

They might be two separate discussions, but if you did try to combine them, my money would be on the whole thing backfiring.

Pickens would assuredly frustrate Rodgers. I'm willing to bet Rodgers' play-nice mindset we're seeing in June would expire by mid-September, provided Pickens didn't do a quick 180.

It's probably good they went their separate ways.

I'm also fine with the Steelers' half of the pie.

Rodgers doesn't instantly vault the Steelers ahead of the Chiefs, Bills or Ravens in the AFC. Yet, with an improved defense, they should be competitive with the Chargers, Broncos, Bengals and Texans.

If offensive coordinator Arthur Smith keeps his word and structures his offense around what Rodgers can do well and if general manager Omar Khan adds an actual No. 2 wide receiver at some point before Week 1, the Steelers won't be a bad offensive team.

On the flip side, if Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black help the run defense, the pass rush improves and nobody gets hurt in the secondary, the defense should also look more like the version we saw through the first 13 weeks and less like whatever took the field over the final five.

Yet the key, same as ever, involves the quarterback — what Rodgers can do and how well he's able to lead the Steelers.

If Rodgers' version of tone setting involves private conversations with Smith about what he wants in the offense and raising the expectations for everyone around him, great. Why'd it take so long to get here?

It's why I'm perfectly fine admitting my pre-Steelers read on Rodgers and how he would comport himself here very well may have been wrong.

Rodgers surely enjoys the attention. Most professional athletes do.

There's also a way to channel that in a positive way, uniting a team and projecting an aura that things will be done a little differently from here out.

Russell Wilson started the project but never finished the job. Much of the Steelers' success hinges on whether Rodgers can stay healthy, play well for 17-plus games and get it done. Rodgers is the best quarterback on the roster, potentially by a large margin, and it wouldn't surprise me if he becomes the Steelers' best since Ben Roethlisberger.

"We're excited about [Rodgers] being here," Tomlin said. "He's excited about being here."

That changed with Pickens. Perception eventually became reality, the off-field nuisances accumulating beyond a level with which the Steelers were comfortable.

Perception hasn't been reality with Rodgers, and the sum total there could become the Steelers' first win of 2025.

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