Aaron Rodgers is heading into his final NFL season, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have given the 42-year-old quarterback a solid supporting cast with DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., Pat Freiermuth, Jaylen Warren, and Rico Dowdle around him.
However, a familiar pattern resurfaced this week when Rodgers publicly called out third-year wide receiver Roman Wilson for making a “repeat mistake” during practice that led to an interception. The comments drew a response from the quarterback’s former Green Bay Packers teammate, Greg Jennings.
Greg Jennings Calls Out Aaron Rodgers’ Leadership Pattern
Wilson, a third-round pick in the 2024 draft, caught just 12 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns during his second NFL season while trying to build chemistry with Rodgers. He struggled again in the preseason, hauling in only three catches for 23 yards across two games and contributing to two interceptions caused by miscommunication.
The Michigan product has shown flashes in camp, but Rodgers pointed out that the young receiver repeated the same mistake he made weeks earlier on an underneath route.
Jennings, who played alongside Rodgers in Green Bay from 2006 to 2012 and won a Super Bowl with him, didn’t hold back, arguing on “First Things First” that Rodgers’ leadership style continues to single out younger players while sparing veterans from the same scrutiny.
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“I’ve never liked this,” Jennings said. “He’s not doing this to DK (Metcalf). He’s not doing this to Davante Adams… I get it, he talked glowingly about Roman, about, you know, ‘He’s had an awesome camp, he’s asking all the right questions, he’s getting better, he’s improving, he’s doing this,’ but Roman is listening to that.”
Jennings also mentioned that the younger players on the Steelers are already trying their best to impress Rodgers, and that such public comments from the four-time NFL MVP are not good for the team.
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“For me, when you are leading, and this has been the issue that I’ve always had, when you lead there’s different ways to lead, but when you lead and you act as though everybody else makes mistakes, everybody else cannot repeat a mistake… when we look at you, it’s like, ‘Well, do you ever do anything wrong?'” Jennings continued.
Jennings also noted that Patrick Mahomes never throws his receivers under the bus and usually takes the blame himself when a receiver runs the wrong route or drops the ball.
“It always seems like we’re talking about Aaron Rodgers in terms of how his leadership style is, it’s always putting somebody out in the open, in the public spotlight, to where he’s showcasing their mistakes, their flaws, their shortcomings,” he added. “You can’t continue to do that.”
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To Rodgers’ credit, the tone of his comments was lighter than in some of the public critiques he’s delivered at previous stops. If this represents a new version of his leadership, then that’s a positive sign heading into the season.
In 2025, Rodgers completed 65.7% of his passes for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions across 16 starts, leading the Steelers to the AFC North title and a playoff berth. According to PFN’s QB Impact Metric, he posted an impact score of 71.9 last season, ranking 29th in the league.
Rodgers now reunites with head coach Mike McCarthy in what could be a final push for another championship.
The AFC North remains one of the toughest divisions in football, with the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals both fielding legitimate contenders, and the broader AFC is loaded with playoff-caliber teams.
Hopefully, the Wilson situation doesn’t become a recurring storyline, and Rodgers can close out a Hall of Fame career focused on winning rather than on how he handles the players around him.
