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Aaron Rodgers captured the spotlight last Thursday with some impressive touchdown passes for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the highlight that truly went viral occurred after a pivotal moment in the fourth quarter.
Rodgers was celebrating a remarkable 68-yard catch-and-run touchdown by tight end Pat Freiermuth that put the Steelers ahead against the Cincinnati Bengals. However, the celebration took an unexpected turn when offensive tackle Broderick Jones jumped on Rodgers, resulting in both players tumbling to the ground.
Rodgers expressed his frustration about the incident during a press conference on Wednesday, providing a candid explanation: “What you don’t see in the video is right after the throw, he’s coming over to me and shaking me and shaking me,” Rodgers said about Jones. “I texted him, I said, ‘Hey, I love your energy, I love everything you’re about. But also, I’m 41. You can’t be out there tackling me.’”
Despite the mishap, the Steelers’ joy was short-lived as Joe Flacco made a remarkable impact in his first home game with the Bengals since being traded from the Cleveland Browns. Flacco led a game-winning drive, securing a 33-31 victory over their AFC North rivals. In the loss, Rodgers threw for 249 yards, connected for four touchdowns, and recorded two interceptions. Notably, Jones played a key role in keeping Rodgers protected, as he wasn’t sacked throughout the game.
While Rodgers may not want Jones to tackle him again, the 6-foot-5, 311-pound tackle hinted that it could happen: “It’s just the energy that he brings and that I bring,” Jones told reporters. “He told me, ‘Don’t lose the fire,’ and I told him the same. We shall see on Sunday after he throws another touchdown. I might tackle him again.”
This upcoming Sunday will be particularly special for Rodgers, as he faces his former team, the Green Bay Packers, for the first time since leaving for the New York Jets two seasons ago. Rodgers has a deep history with the franchise that selected him 24th overall in the 2005 NFL Draft. He emphasized that he holds no animosity toward the organization, stating, “I wish that things had been better in our last year there, but I have a great relationship with a lot of people still in that organization, and this is not a revenge game for me. I’m just excited to see some of those guys and be on ‘Sunday Night Football’ again.”
With the bright lights of Acrisure Stadium on him this Sunday night, while Rodgers may not view this matchup as a revenge game, he is undoubtedly eager to score plenty of touchdowns against his former squad. He just hopes to stay on his feet while doing so.
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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
