Yardbarker
x
Robert Spillane Took A Wild Shot At Steelers' Aaron Rodgers After Losing In Week 3
Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Steelers have not played a singular pretty game through three weeks in the 2025 season. Every game has been ugly in some way, shape, or form. Thankfully the team has a 2-1 record when it could easily be worse. The defense has shown some slight improvements and made some opportunistic plays during the Week 3 win over the New England Patriots, but the group still has plenty of room to grow. On offense, quarterback Aaron Rodgers has played well with what he has around him, but there are certainly some limitations with his game in his 21st season in the league.

Rodgers' mobility has taken a hit due to his age and recent injury history, and he has had a bit of an issue with interceptions to begin the 2025 season. He threw a couple balls that could have been picked off in Week 1 against the New York Jets, threw two interceptions in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and he essentially threw a ball directly to former Steelers linebacker Robert Spillane in Week 3 against New England. Spillane spoke to the media after the game where he took a subtle shot at the quarterback.

"It was a soft zone," Spillane said. "I felt him looking, felt the ball come off his hand. I did think somebody would be closer in the vicinity, but I was able to come up with it. Now I need to just run when you catch it and hopefully get in the end zone."

The interception to Spillane was pretty bad, and his comments after the game proved that as he was surprised that there wasn't really any receiver around him when he secured the pick. It seemed like Rodgers was trying to hit Calvin Austin III down the seem, and it might have just been a bad throw as the ball failed to get over Spillane's head.

Rodgers made it clear after the game that he did not feel like he played well against New England. He seemed just off on some throws, and the interception to Spillane was a perfect example of that. The linebacker was able to run the ball back into the red zone for a 37-yard return, but thankfully Pittsburgh's defense was able to force a fumble two plays later.

The veteran quarterback had a similar play against Seattle in Week 2. The interception was dropped, but it was the same situation where he seemed to try to float the ball over a defender's head in the middle of the field and just did not get enough air under it. He has played well enough for Pittsburgh to win two games through three weeks, so fans shouldn't necessarily be freaking out about any potential turnover issues.

Steelers Have Yet To See The Best From Aaron Rodgers

It is important to note that Rodgers is preparing for just his fourth game with Pittsburgh, and it is going to take some time to get used to a new offense with new weapons. He is still forming decent chemistry with everyone around him on that side of the ball, so these mistakes are somewhat expected early on in the season. The veteran should only improve as the season moves along, and things will likely get easier for him if and when Pittsburgh can establish the run in a better fashion.

Rodgers and the offense will have a tough test in Week 4 against a stifling defense in the Minnesota Vikings, but it will be another good test for the group.

This article first appeared on SteelerNation.com and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!