NFL Player Faces Punishment for What He Did After Sacking Aaron Rodgers

NFL Fines DE Will McDonald for Violent Gesture

According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, New York defensive end Will McDonald was fined $14,491 for unsportsmanlike conduct for an incident in the third quarter against the Steelers. The fine followed a “violent gesture” McDonald made after sacking Rodgers, where he pretended to throw a grenade in celebration.

The gesture drew attention from the league, leading to the punishment on Saturday.

Despite the fine, McDonald’s performance in that game was otherwise strong. He notched two sacks, three quarterback hits and two tackles for loss in the defeat. These numbers follow his breakout 2024 season in which he recorded 10.5 sacks over 17 games.

As for the Steelers, the focus shifts to keeping up their pace. In Week 2, they face the Seattle Seahawks at home, where Rodgers will aim to replicate his sharp play from Week 1.

Pittsburgh’s offense showed signs of promise but also vulnerabilities, especially in pass protection and the rushing attack. Correcting those will be crucial to avoid letting Seattle's defensive pressures rattle the Steelers.

Preview: Aaron Rodgers and Steelers Welcome Seahawks in Week 2

Seattle opened the season with a 17-13 defeat at home against the San Francisco 49ers, struggling to generate consistent offense under pressure. The Seahawks' pass rush showed flashes but lacked consistency, and their secondary allowed several chunk plays. The Steelers will likely test that weakness, leaning heavily on Rodgers’ ability to exploit tight windows and make plays under duress.

Rodgers, buoyed by his Week-1 success, should enter with confidence, but the offensive line must tighten up to avoid giving up sacks and negative plays. If Rodgers gets time and receivers get open, Pittsburgh should be able to control the tempo. Ultimately, it’s a must­‐win home game to build on the strong start.

Seattle visits Pittsburgh at 1 p.m. ET on Fox.