One thing to remember about Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is that he always speaks his mind—and in a year we all know is his final season in the NFL, the 42-year-old is holding back even less.
Rodgers spoke out about Raymond James Stadium after the Steelers’ 26-19 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. It wasn’t pretty, and it was to the point.
“It’s got to be one of the worst playing surfaces in the league,” Rodgers said. “When we’re talking about player safety, that’s a real concern. I’m thankful I didn’t get hurt today, but I’ve been injured twice on this field before, and in my opinion, the turf was a factor both times. I know USF plays here, but that surface just doesn’t feel very safe. From my perspective, it’s a field that needs to be looked at because player safety should always come first.”
Rodgers seemed to handle the playing surface’s drawbacks well — he went 33-of-49 for 253 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception as the Steelers improved to 4-2 and the Buccaneers fell to 1-5.
Rodgers Playing at High Level Into Early 40s
Rodgers has ventured into territory few NFL players have occupied – playing into his early 40s.
Rodgers is in his 22nd season and is a 4-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion, having spent most of his career with the Green Bay Packers before a brief stint with the New York Jets.
He’s in his second season with the Steelers, where he’s playing for his former Packers head coach, Mike McCarthy.
Player Safety? How About Head Coach Safety?!
In a weird twist, while Rodgers was concerned about player safety at Raymond James Stadium, McCarthy went down with an ankle injury and was forced into the medical tent.
“Steelers HC Mike McCarthy is injured and spent the entire halftime in the blue medical tent,” NFL Insider Jordan Schultz wrote on his official X account. “He’s still coaching now in the second half.”
Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers Blasts Raymond James Stadium After Win Over Bucs