Steelers learning harsh truth about Aaron Rodgers that Jets already knew

New York Jets fans have seen this story before, and they're probably shaking their heads with a mix of vindication and sympathy after watching Aaron Rodgers' latest receiver callout.

Following the Pittsburgh Steelers' 31-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2, Rodgers couldn't resist publicly detailing exactly what his wide receiver, Calvin Austin III, did wrong on his game-sealing goal-line interception.

Rodgers praised the young receiver, calling him "the best kid ever" while simultaneously explaining how he messed up the route. It was a textbook example of the demanding, criticism-heavy leadership style that defined Rodgers' tumultuous tenure in New York.

Rodgers was seen pointing and screaming at his young wideout after the play, publicly berating him on the field. What Steelers fans witnessed was just the opening act of a pattern that Jets fans know leads nowhere good.

"Cal [Austin III] is the best kid ever, but he probably should have just stayed in the flat there. He knows it. Or he was kind of stealing it from Pat or just catch it, put it away, score a touchdown."

Aaron Rodgers

Jets fans have seen this Aaron Rodgers story before

Jets fans know this Rodgers tale all too well because they watched their former quarterback perfect this art of public receiver criticism throughout the 2024 season.

The most infamous example came after a Monday Night Football loss to the Buffalo Bills, when Rodgers threw a late-game interception and immediately blamed Mike Williams in his post-game press conference.

Rodgers explained in technical detail how Williams was supposed to run his route along the "red line" — a practice field stripe roughly five yards from the sideline that helps receivers maintain proper positioning — but instead ran an "in-breaker" that disrupted the play.

That public callout violated what most consider basic quarterback etiquette, as these types of mistakes are typically handled privately rather than aired out in front of cameras.

But this is Rodgers we're talking about. The future Hall of Famer has made a career out of disregarding basic etiquette.

Within 24 hours, the Jets traded for Davante Adams, effectively making Williams expendable. Williams missed practice for "personal reasons" immediately after the criticism and played just three more games in New York before being shipped to Pittsburgh, where he immediately caught a game-winning touchdown in his debut.

After his trade, Williams took a subtle shot at his former quarterback with an Instagram post featuring the hashtag "#RedLine" alongside a snake emoji, perfectly capturing how the ex-Jets receiver felt about Rodgers' public blame game.

The Calvin Austin situation obviously isn't a death sentence for the young receiver. After all, Rodgers did heap praise on him personally, and the criticism was relatively gentle compared to the Williams incident.

But Steelers fans should recognize this as the opening chapter of a familiar playbook. Jets fans watched this exact pattern unfold repeatedly during Rodgers' time in Florham Park, starting with seemingly harmless public corrections that gradually escalated into team-altering dysfunction.

There's a certain poetic justice for Jets fans in seeing their former quarterback's patterns play out in Pittsburgh. They tried to warn everyone, but sometimes you have to learn these lessons the hard way.

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