Aaron Rodgers is no stranger to viral moments, but last Thursdayâs clip wasnât about a no-look pass or a fourth-quarter comeback. It was about a touchdown celebration gone wrong â and a teammate a little too excited for comfort.
Late in the game against the Bengals, Rodgers had just delivered a huge 68-yard touchdown pass to Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth. The crowd erupted. The sidelines lit up. But then, offensive tackle Broderick Jones sprinted over to join in the celebration. He leaped onto Rodgers in the momentâs excitement, and the two fell hard to the turf.
It looked funny on camera. But for Rodgers â whoâs 41 years old and just one year removed from a torn Achilles â it wasnât exactly a lighthearted tumble.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Rodgers explained what happened behind the scenes of the now-famous clip.
âWhat you donât see in the video is right after the throw, heâs coming over to me and shaking me and shaking me,â Rodgers said about Jones. âI texted him, I said, âHey, I love your energy, I love everything youâre about. But also, Iâm 41. You canât be out there tackling me.ââ
Jones, who weighs over 300 pounds, understood the concern â but didnât entirely promise it wonât happen again.
âItâs just the energy that he brings and that I bring,â Jones said on Tuesday. âHe told me, âDonât lose the fire,â and I told him the same. We shall see on Sunday after he throws another touchdown. I might tackle him again.â
Despite the touchdown and the viral clip, the game didnât end in Pittsburghâs favor.
Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco led a late-game charge in his first home start for Cincinnati since being traded by the Browns. Flaccoâs game-winning drive sealed a 33-31 win for the Bengals. It spoiled an otherwise strong night from Rodgers, who finished with 249 passing yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Still, Rodgers wasnât sacked once, thanks in large part to Jones and the Steelersâ offensive line. The touchdown celebration may have taken a turn, but the protection held up all game.
And now, Rodgersâ next matchup has a deeper layer of emotion â even if he says otherwise.
This Sunday, heâll face the team that drafted him: the Green Bay Packers. Itâs the first time since leaving for the New York Jets two seasons ago that heâll go head-to-head with the franchise he led for 18 seasons.
Rodgers addressed the upcoming game during an interview with ESPN, choosing not to frame it as a grudge match.
âI donât have any animosity toward the organization,â he said. âI wish that things had been better in our last year there, but I have a great relationship with a lot of people still in that organization, and this is not a revenge game for me.â
The Packers selected Rodgers 24th overall in the 2005 NFL Draft. He led them to a Super Bowl victory in 2011 and was named league MVP four times while in Green Bay. Now wearing black and gold, heâs looking to add another highlight to a long list of accomplishments â and maybe avoid another unexpected tackle from his teammates.
The stage will be set under the lights of Sunday Night Football. Rodgers may not be calling it a revenge game. But the stakes, the history, and the eyes of millions of fans say otherwise.