Key Takeaways
- Mike McCarthy said he regretted cursing at Aaron Rodgers during a heated sideline exchange, admitting, “I wish I wouldn’t use those words.”
- Rodgers’ frustration surfaced during Pittsburgh’s opening drive, which ended in a touchdown before the offense stalled and Cleveland built a 21-point run.
- Rodgers rallied the Steelers to a late tie but finished with two interceptions in the 27-24 loss, four days after cameras captured another profane sideline outburst.
Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers have known each other long enough to skip the pleasantries.
According to ESPN, the Pittsburgh Steelers coach admitted he regretted his choice of words after the broadcast caught him and Rodgers exchanging profanities during the team’s 27-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns. The heated moment came just four days after cameras caught Rodgers launching a separate expletive-filled tirade toward the Steelers sideline.
This time, McCarthy fired back.
During Pittsburgh's opening possession, Rodgers became visibly frustrated while waiting for a play call and shouted toward the sideline, “What the f*ck? Call it!”
The broadcast quickly cut to McCarthy, who appeared just as irritated and responded with some colorful language of his own.
McCarthy didn't deny what happened afterward.
“Communication sometimes is not the best choice of words, but everybody's competing on the field,” he told reporters. “I think what's said on the field, the way I grew up in this game, usually stays on the field. That's not the case today. I understand that.”
Then came the mea culpa.
“Any negative communication on my part, I wish I wouldn't use those words.”
Whatever was being said, Pittsburgh eventually got the message. The chaotic opening possession lasted 9:48—the Steelers' longest drive of the season—and ended with Rodgers finding Roman Wilson for a 12-yard touchdown.
Then the wheels came off.
Rodgers threw an interception on Pittsburgh's next possession, which Cleveland turned into a touchdown four plays later. The Browns eventually scored 21 unanswered points while Pittsburgh's next six possessions produced just 101 yards. The Steelers punted four times during that stretch, missed one field goal and made another.
Rodgers said the Cleveland crowd didn't make it any easier to get the offense on the same page.
“It was loud,” he said. “So some of the calls, it was hard to hear for sure.”
Pittsburgh finally woke up in the fourth quarter. Rodgers led two touchdown drives and punched in a quarterback sneak for the two-point conversion to tie the game with less than two minutes remaining. Cleveland answered with a 56-yard game-winning field goal.
Rodgers finished 22-of-40 for 299 yards with two interceptions. He was also sacked five times and hit 10 times.
“It wasn't our cleanest game all the way around,” Rodgers acknowledged. “They're a good defense, so you got to give them credit.”
With Pittsburgh trailing Cincinnati in the fourth quarter, cameras caught Rodgers shouting, “That motherf*cking sucks a**. F*cking sucks a**.” The source of that frustration was never established, but the Steelers ultimately escaped with a 30-27 victory behind Rodgers' three touchdown passes.
Rodgers spent 13 seasons playing for McCarthy in Green Bay, where the pair won Super Bowl XLV. McCarthy's arrival in Pittsburgh helped convince Rodgers to return for a 22nd NFL season after the quarterback seriously considered retiring.
