If not for Mike Tomlin, Aaron Rodgers’ career might already be over.

The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback told SiriusXM NFL Radio that Pittsburgh’s former head coach helped him rekindle his love for football.

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Rodgers said that after his stellar 15-year run as the Green Bay Packers‘ starting quarterback, his next stop – a two-year stint with the New York Jets – provided more hardship than he had faced earlier in his career. Rodgers suffered an Achilles tear on the night of his Jets debut. He said even after the following year of rehab to get back to football action, he was “never feeling like myself” when he returned.

“It just kind of beats you up a little bit,” Rodgers said. “I didn’t want that to be my ending in the game that I love so much.”