In the last calendar week, Aaron Rodgers has raised three key issues the Steelers themselves had very little control over. Mike Tomlin and the Steelers front office cannot say they didn't see this coming. Rodgers has always been this way, and even though he hasn't used the Pat McAfee Show as a platform so far this season, the media remains his mouthpiece.
Rodgers came at a bargain for Pittsburgh, signing just a one-year, $13.65 million deal with the Steelers. Thus far on the field, Rodgers has outperformed his contract's prognosis. Per Still Curtain's Tommy Jaggi, Rodgers is on pace for just short of 3,600 yards passing and 40 touchdown passes. Arthur Smith has adapted his offense to fit Rodgers, a suspect offensive line and a war chest of tight ends and running backs. As a result, Rodgers is getting the ball out quicker, avoiding sacks and finding skill position players in space. It puts less emphasis on post-snap reads, and more on pre-snap adjustments. He may not hold up forever, but Rodgers has undeniably been a positive influence on the Steelers offense...so far.
What comes next will be a telltale sign if the Steelers season ends with its first postseason victory since 2016, or if they fall short of that goal with another veteran quarterback. The Steelers lost to the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night despite being favored on the road. With the loss, Tomlin fell to 2-10 in road TNF games in his career. The defense was shredded by Joe Flacco, of all quarterbacks, and the highest-priced unit in football left Rodgers hanging.
Aaron Rodgers frustration dates back to Week 6 and the Acrisure Stadium grass
Rodgers was far from the only player to question the Steelers grounds crew over the Acrisure Stadium grass after Week 6's win. Several Steelers and Browns players filed a report with the NFLPA, and the organization is re-sodding the grass this week. Hopefully, that'll be the end of it, but not before Rodgers made his feelings public.
"I couldn't tell pregame, no. I just felt like it got real beat up," quarterback Aaron Rodgers said after the game. "By the time the third quarter rolled around, that thing was really beat up, so I feel bad about what happened to Miles [Killebrew]." Rodgers went on to call the surface 'unplayable'.
Rodgers has, for the most part, played nice with the Steelers this season. He gave them a chance to revive his late-career window when other teams wouldn't, and were patient with him this offseason. That has to mean something. However, Rodgers patience is starting to wear down.
Aaron Rodgers had a problem with two teammates in Steelers loss
During a loss to the Bengals, Rodgers' frustration was on full display. First, Rodgers was upset with running back Jaylen Warren for lateraling the ball back to him on what Warren thought was a flea-flicker. Rodgers claimed there was a miscommunication, while Tomlin thought it was the right call.
“It wasn’t supposed to be a flea flicker. We weren’t on the same page,” Rodgers said. Tomlin quickly rebuffed this later, saying it was a flea flicker.
Warren had his best game of the season to date, but what Steelers fans will remember from this game – and what Rodgers instead brought up – was the failed flea flicker. Rather, Warren's 127 rushing yards on 16 carries made a far greater impact.
Another teammate Rodgers was unhappy with during Pittsburgh's loss in Cincinnati was Broderick Jones. Following a Rodgers touchdown pass, Jones tried to celebrate with his quarterback and accidentally dragged Rodgers to the ground. Clearly, Jones didn't expect Rodgers to go down that easily, and it's not a mistake he'll make twice.
Nothing says “great teammate” like Aaron Rodgers shoving Broderick Jones and yelling “Get the fuck off me” after a go-ahead 68-yard TD celebration. Leadership at its finest. pic.twitter.com/EphDQ14ayN
— CFBBlueprint (@CFBBluePrint) October 17, 2025
Jones can – and will – be more cognizant of Rodgers in the future, but the 41-year-old quarterback could've gone a little easier on his left tacke. Jones has been far from perfect this season, but in back-to-back games he hasn't allowed a single sack. This includes last Sunday against Cleveland, when he was matched up with Myles Garrett.
Rodgers is human, he's going to lash out at times. That's just his personality. We can only hope his teammates know better than to engage in the moment.