The former Packers teammates exchanged words during a difficult first half for Pittsburgh against its AFC North rival
October 1, 2026
at 10:24 pm ET
•
1 min read
A 14-second video summed up what was a disappointing first half for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night against the Cleveland Browns. The video is a verbal exchange between Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy.
Rodgers was visibly upset and seemed to express his frustration at McCarthy, who clearly did not appreciate his actions. If you can lip-read, you can picture what McCarthy thought of Rodgers’ antics.
McCarthy addressed the incident after the loss, saying, “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. Any negative communication on my part, I wish I wouldn’t use those words.”
The irony in the video is how successful the duo was Thursday night in their careers. McCarthy’s 17 wins Thursday night were the most in NFL history. Rodgers’ 13 wins Thursday are second all-time for a starting quarterback.
Obviously, much of their success Thursday night was joined at the hip. Rodgers was McCarthy’s starting quarterback in Green Bay from 2008-18. The duo’s time together included Green Bay’s Super Bowl win over Pittsburgh at the end of the 2010 season.
Rodgers and the Steelers started the game with a 17-play scoring drive that lasted nearly 10 minutes on the clock. The momentum turned, however, after Rodgers was picked off by Denzel Ward on Pittsburgh’s second drive. The Browns then scored 21 unanswered points before the Steelers ended the half with a short field goal.
Pittsburgh rallied and tied the score with less than two minutes remaining but lost the game after Deshaun Watson led his third game-winning drive of the season. The loss dropped the Steelers to 2-2 and in last place in the AFC North.