Aaron Rodgers' legendary secret language: How the Steelers' Google Doc of roughly 75 hand signals sets bar for NFL cat-and-mouse game

Aaron Rodgers, the veteran quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, has developed a highly intricate system of hand signals to communicate plays to his teammates during games. According to his former rookie quarterback, Will Howard, this system started with around 25 to 30 basic signals and grew to include 75 by the end of the 2022 season. No other active quarterback in the NFL has the experience or accomplishments of Rodgers, who has made 260 regular-season starts and won four Super Bowl MVP awards.

Quarterbacks and coaches across the league estimate that Rodgers' current arsenal of hand signals surpasses those used by other teams. The Steelers, for instance, utilized approximately 75 signals in the 2022 season, which is more than other teams like the Denver Broncos (15-25), Baltimore Ravens (20-30), Philadelphia Eagles, and Seattle Seahawks (50-60).

As they prepare to face each other in an upcoming Thursday Night Football game, the Steelers will need to closely watch Rodgers' non-verbal cues to anticipate and prepare for his play calls.

Unlike some other teams that use handwritten or notebook systems to track their signals, the Steelers employ a Google Doc as their primary method for maintaining and updating Rodgers' extensive signal library. This digital document allows for easy updates and revisions as the quarterback continues to refine and expand his playbook.

Defenders of opposing teams must remain vigilant in deciphering Rodgers' cryptic signals, as his ability to seamlessly integrate dummy signals among his real ones makes it difficult to predict which actions are genuine and which are intended to deceive.