His debut in a Pittsburgh Steelers uniform during Week 1 couldn’t have gone much better. But things were quite different for veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the home opener versus the Seattle Seahawks.
Rodgers finished 18 of 33 for 203 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in Week 2. The Steelers fell to the Seahawks 31-17.
At various points during the defeat, Rodgers appeared to be visibly frustrated. The quarterback seemed angry with wide receiver Calvin Austin III after his first interception. Other times, Rodgers voiced his displeasure in the direction of Pittsburgh’s sideline and at the officials.
But in his postgame press conference, Rodgers made clear that he is not overly concerned about Sunday’s performance.
“It’s Week 2, now. Come on now,” Rodgers said to a question about whether he was getting frustration. “Come on, come on, it’s Week 2.
The veteran quarterback added that it’s all part of playing in the NFL, and that the disappointment from Week 2 could be a positive thing in the long term.
“I mean, it’s good for us. Last week, there were probably some people who were feeling pretty good because everybody outside the building was talking about how great we were on offense. 34 points. That’s the league. You can’t ride the highs and ride the lows,” Rodgers said. “You’ve got to refocus every single week and be a professional.
“It starts with the practice and the preparation. We get a chance to reset. Take a look at what we did last week. What worked, what didn’t work from the preparation standpoint, and do better next week.”
Aaron Rodgers, Steelers Offense Struggles in Week 2
The veteran quarterback has turned in two very different performances in his two games with the Steelers. Last week against the New York Jets, Rodgers completed about 73% of his passes, going 22 for 30 with 244 yards and four touchdowns. All four of his scores went to different receivers.
Rodgers hit another different wideout for a touchdown during Week 2. But overall, the Steelers passing offense sputtered.
Pittsburgh finished with 195 passing yards and just 5.1 yards per pass attempt. Rodgers also took three sacks. Opponents have sacked Rodgers seven times in the first two games.
On third down, the Steelers converted just 5 of 15 opportunities. As a result of the poor passing game, Rodgers’ offense was badly outgained again in Week 2.
The Seahawks posted 395 yards to Pittsburgh’s 267. Seattle had 278 passing yards.
Rodgers Throws Costly First INT With Steelers
There were a couple instances in Week 1 where Rodgers may have been a little fortunate that an opposing defender didn’t interception one of his pass attempts. That was the case on at least one throw in the first half versus the Seahawks as well.
Ironically, Rodgers then threw an interception on an attempt that probably should have been a touchdown. The veteran quarterback was trying to target tight end Pat Freiermuth in the back corner of the end zone. But Steelers receiver Calvin Austin III deflected the pass to a Seahawks defender.
The throw came on third-and-goal with the game tied at 14. If not for the turnover, the Steelers could have at least had the opportunity to retake the lead with a field goal on the next play. It’s also possible Freiermuth would have caught the pass for a touchdown.
After the Rodgers giveaway, the Seahawks scored 17 of the final 20 points in the game.
An offense is never as bad as its worst game, and a unit is never as good as its best game. The Steelers offense will likely play somewhere in the middle of its first two performances for the remainder of the 2025 campaign.
Rodgers and his teammates, though, will undoubtably work hard so their future performances can be closer to what it was in Week 1.
Aaron Rodgers Delivers Clear Message to Steelers After Week 2 Loss