The Pittsburgh Steelers are 1-1 through their first two games, but based on how things unfolded in their 20-3 loss to the New England Patriots, it’s safe to say this team has a lot of work to do. That starts with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who hasn’t looked all that great to start the year.
After a hectic offseason, the Steelers are still figuring things out on the offensive side of the ball. Rodgers’ play on the field hasn’t exactly been deserving of much attention, but he continues to turn heads for his divisive comments in the media. Earlier this month, he caught attention for referring to one of his former teammates, Jermichael Finley, as “not a smart person,” and on Thursday, Finley took a second to address Rodgers’ comments.
In recent years, Rodgers has become almost as well-known for his controversial comments off the field as his stellar play on the field. During a recent podcast appearance, Rodgers once again made waves for his comments about Finley, who spent his entire six-year career playing alongside the legendary quarterback while with the Green Bay Packers.
While Rodgers enjoyed a strong relationship with Finley during their shared time in Green Bay, the latter had become a detractor of his former quarterback in recent years. Considering all the controversy Rodgers is shrouded in, that isn’t necessarily a surprise, but rather than ignoring Finley, he decided to respond to him.
Unsurprisingly, Finley heard what Rodgers had to say about him, and he recently decided to fire back at his comments. Finley said he was shocked to hear Rodgers’ comments about him, and while he certainly doesn’t agree with him, he wished the Steelers quarterback nothing but the best moving forward.
“That’s his own opinion,” Finley said of Rodgers on “The Go Long Podcast.” “It really threw me off. I didn’t see it live. Someone sent it to me and was like, ‘This guy doesn’t know you.’ I was like, ‘I don’t think he does either.’ I can’t be too dumb. I’m raising a family. I’ve got a kid here at Notre Dame. Living really good … He’s on a rampage of making himself feel good or feel worthy … I wish him nothing but the best. But at the end of the day, he knows nothing about me.”
Aaron Rodgers, Steelers Turn Attention to Week 3
Realistically, off-field drama surrounding Rodgers is just about the last thing the Steelers need right now, especially with their offense struggling mightily through two games. Pittsburgh knew what it was getting into when it persuaded Rodgers to return for one more season, though, so this is just par for the course with him.
Chances are, Rodgers won’t be too concerned with Finley’s response, as he’s got his plate full with a tough Week 3 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals coming up. Kickoff for this game is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, and if Rodgers isn’t careful, he could find himself in a 1-2 hole with the Steelers, which is precisely where he and his teammates don’t want to be.
Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers Gets Bashed by Former Teammate Over Controversial Comments