A visibly frustrated Aaron Rodgers, sporting a noticeable cut on his nose, expressed his dissatisfaction with some of his Pittsburgh Steelers teammates following their defeat by the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
In the wake of the 26-7 loss, Rodgers addressed the need for improvement in the team’s passing game, specifically calling out tight end Jonnu Smith and emphasizing the importance of attending film sessions.
“When there are film sessions, everyone needs to be present,” Rodgers stated, further advising, “When I signal a route, it’s crucial to run the correct one.”
Reflecting on a miscommunication during the game, Rodgers explained, “Jonnu [Smith] and I were not aligned. I signaled for an in-breaking route, but he ran an out-breaking one. Jonnu is a consummate professional, and I know he feels bad about it.”
Rodgers also held himself accountable, acknowledging a missed throw on his part, saying, “I have to make that throw.”
However, Rodgers’s comments didn’t stop there. Without naming anyone specifically, he reiterated the necessity for all players to participate in film study sessions to enhance their performance.
Aaron Rodgers ‘s displeasure with his Pittsburgh Steelers teammates was as clear as the gash across his nose after Sunday’s demoralizing loss to the visiting Buffalo Bills
‘We have our meetings every week,’ Rodgers said. ‘We have other opportunities outside of the facility, and look forward to seeing all the boys there.’
On Sunday, Rodgers’ frustrations were obvious after completing just 10 of 21 passes for 117 yards as Pittsburgh blew a 7-3 halftime lead.
And the nose injury he suffered certainly didn’t help matters.
With Pittsburgh opening the second half from their own 26-yard line, Rodgers dropped back to pass but was unaware of Bills edge rusher Joey Bosa crashing the pocket from the blind side. Bosa then launched himself onto Rodgers’ shoulders, dropping the 41-year-old passer and sending his face into the turf as the ball became dislodged.
Buffalo’s Christian Benford was perfectly positioned to recover the fumble and waltzed in for an easy touchdown. The ensuing PAT gave the Bills a 10-7 lead, but the bigger concern was Rodgers, who was briefly sidelined as trainers tended to the cut across the bridge of his nose.
The turnover helped Buffalo turn the game around in the second half.
After entering halftime trailing 7-3, the Bills scored 23 unanswered points due in no small part to Bosa’s sack.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was left with a bleeding gash across his nose after taking a costly sack in the early stages of the third quarter on Sunday against Buffalo
With Rodgers on the sideline, backup Mason Rudolph stepped in only to be picked off by Benford, celebrated to turnovers in a little over a minute of play.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen responded with an eight-play, 56-yard drive culminating with a one-yard touchdown pass to Keon Coleman for a 16-7 lead.
Allen later added an eight-yard touchdown run of his own.
There was some good news for Rodgers on an otherwise depressing day for the Steelers: The future Hall of Famer became just the fifth player in NFL history to eclipse 65,000 passing yards.
Rodgers trails only Tom brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and former teammate Brett Favre in career passing yards.
The Steelers are now just 6-6, and although they still have a share of first place in the lowly AFC North, fans still called for head coach Mike Tomlin to be fired on Sunday.
And Tomlin didn’t blame them, either.
Teammates quickly rushed over to check on Pittsburgh’s 41-year-old quarterback
‘I share their frustration tonight,’ Tomlin told reporters when asked about the chants after the loss. ‘We didn’t do enough. That’s just the reality of it.’
According to a long-time Steelers fan known on X as ‘@PghJarron,’ this is new territory for Tomlin.
‘I may be mistaken, but this appears to be the first time I’ve ever heard ‘Fire Tomlin’ chants,’ he wrote on X.
Just the team’s third head coach since 1969, Tomlin is now seen by many as a symbol of owner Art Rooney’s refusal to change. Pittsburgh has not gone beyond the opening round of the NFL playoffs since 2017 and Tomlin’s Super Bowl victory is now a distant memory some 17 seasons later.
Rodgers defended Tomlin after the loss, saying: ‘I believe in the coaching staff and I believe in Mike Tomlin.’
He also admitted he needs to ‘play better.’
The Steelers initially looked vastly improved this season with the newly acquired Rodgers under center, getting off to a 4-1 start.
Since then, Pittsburgh has lost five of seven games, culminating with Sunday’s second-half collapse.
