After Sunday’s 26-7 loss to the Bills, Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers made waves when asked about efforts to improve the passing game.
“When there’s film sessions, everyone shows up,” Rodgers said. “When I check to a route, run the right route.”
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The remarks, which came in response to the final question of the post-game press conference, blended Tua Tagovailoa’s October comments that created a South Florida shit storm Rodgers’s more pointed red-line criticism of receiver Mike Williams after a 2024 loss by the Jets to the Bills. It figured to be a hot topic in Pittsburgh this week.
So far, it’s not.
During coach Mike Tomlin’s Tuesday press conference, he didn’t get a single question about Rodgers’s comments. Yes, Tomlin was asked about Rodgers’s contention that the Steelers didn’t have a great week of practice, citing the energy and tempo and execution.
“I’m open to doing whatever it is that we need to do, obviously, in an effort to make practice better,” Rodgers said. “Sometimes practice gets challenging, particularly at the early portions of the week this time of the year, because of lack of significant player availability. And certainly felt that last week — not making that as an excuse, that’s just a reality of our business. I’m sure people that we compete against missed significant players as well.”
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Tomlin didn’t bristle in response to the inquiry about practice. He didn’t seem upset, at any point. He answered every question. In all, he spoke for roughly a half an hour.
But there was nothing — not a word — about Rodgers calling out receivers.
Plenty of simple questions could have been posed to Tomlin about Rodgers’s comments. What was your reaction to what Rodgers said? Was he talking about team-held or player-conducted film sessions? Who was he referring to? Was that the first you’ve heard of it? Who has been running the wrong routes? Has there been any fallout internally regarding the remarks?
There was not one question about the things Rodgers said. When reporters have a chance to talk to Rodgers and other players on Wednesday, we’ll see if that changes.
