It was Christmas Eve, after all. And this group of football lifers was well aware of a longstanding tradition of the sport that the quarterback gifts his offensive linemen something at the end of each season.
The element of surprise, Pittsburgh Steelers linemen confess, wasn’t exactly present Wednesday after practice.
“Once he said, ‘Hey, I need you guys over here after practice real quick,’’’ guard Mason McCormick said of Aaron Rodgers, “at that point you knew something was going on.”
The lack of suspense didn’t suppress the gratefulness McCormick and the other guards, centers and tackles felt after Rodgers escorted them out a side door at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
It was there that the 42-year-old quarterback presented each offensive lineman with all-terrain vehicles.
“Super cool. Aaron’s a GOAT, doing that for us,” McCormick told TribLive after practice Friday, “and we really appreciate it. I know he’s appreciative of us, and he makes us look so good.
“Something I’ll remember forever. It’s grateful that I’ve been able to cross paths with him.”
This Christmas, Aaron Rodgers gave his offensive line the gift of horsepower.
Safe to say, it delivered.
Merry Christmas from Mosites Motorsports. pic.twitter.com/64fKJDhSMo— MositesMotorsports (@MositesMotors) December 25, 2025
A handful of Can-Am Maverick X3s were delivered to Steelers headquarters, and others were to make their way to linemen in the coming days from North Versailles-based Mosites Motorsports.
The linemen paired up to take quick test drives through the parking lot up and down Water Street along the Monongahela River.
“Those things are fast,” guard Spencer Anderson said. “Quite a gift.”
Aaron Rodgers rewarding the guys who protect the pocket.
Can-Am Maverick X3s built for work, power, and play.
Tough to top this kind of gift. pic.twitter.com/k5sf6IdYvA— MositesMotorsports (@MositesMotors) December 26, 2025
Quarterback-to-linemen gifts are something of a rite of passage at all levels. In the pros with the top quarterbacks making tens of millions — typically many times more than most of their offensive linemen — the gifts can be lavish.
Russell Wilson last year, for example, gave his Steelers blockers a package that included a $10,000 Airbnb gift card and a posh Louis Vuitton bag. The Detroit Lions’ Jared Goff last week presented custom golf carts to his offensive linemen.
Rodgers’ gift might outrank them all in regard to value. A Can-Am Maverick X3 retails for more than $30,000.
“It was dope,” said starting right tackle Troy Fautanu. “I’m super excited to get in that thing. I mean, that was awesome. Shoutout to Aaron for that.
“I looked forward to a time like this, even as a kid growing up, it’s cool. I still look forward to it, being a grown-up, being around guys that care about you. So it’s cool.”
Rodgers has made almost $400 million in his 21-year NFL career, at one point carrying the title as the player who made the most in salary ever. He also has had plenty of endorsement deals.
Still, his linemen insist that even though it is customary for QBs to show their gratitude, the gesture is much appreciated.
“It was definitely a surprise,” McCormick said. “And it was a pretty cool one. You never grow to expect something like that, and you never take it for granted. Aaron has always gone out of his way since he got here to make us feel special. And this is just the latest — and biggest — reflection of that.”
