Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers' alleged feud with Ryan Clark gets honest criticism from former NFL lineman

A former and current member of the Pittsburgh Steelers have been making headlines once again, thanks to a feud that just doesn’t seem to want to die. 

It’s no secret that Aaron Rodgers and Ryan Clark aren’t exactly sending each other Christmas cards, and the two have traded comments back and forth all summer. Their most recent run-in at Steelers training camp added yet another chapter to what’s becoming a pretty entertaining soap opera. 

Recently, another former NFL player decided to weigh in on the drama. Marcellus Wiley, who played 10 years in the league before turning into a media personality, gave his two cents during an episode of his podcast, "Dat Dude TV." 

"I think there’s only one reason, really, you should talk trash about a player, right? Because they’re playing like trash," Wiley said. "I’ve been talked about many times and it’s always justified if I’m actually playing like that."

Wiley’s point makes sense. He basically thinks Clark shouldn’t be taking shots at Rodgers unless it has to do with how Rodgers is playing on the field. His personality, drama with teams or lack of words to one another aren’t really reasons to go after him. In Wiley's eyes, it should be about football, plain and simple. 

The Rodgers-Clark beef goes back a while. Clark, who’s now an analyst after his long career in Pittsburgh, has never been afraid to call it like he sees it. He’s been outspoken about Rodgers in the past, not always focusing on the quarterback’s play, but also his personality and some of the off-field headlines. Rodgers, being Rodgers, hasn’t exactly ignored the criticism, either. He fires back just as quickly, and you can tell he doesn’t mind stirring the pot.

Wiley said that the Rodgers-Clark feud isn't about football; it's personal. Clark has even recently said that Rodgers is the greatest quarterback he has ever played against. That’s pretty high praise considering all the legends Clark matched up with during his career. 

Sure, Rodgers isn't the same quarterback who was throwing lasers against the Steelers defense in Super Bowl XLV back in the 2010 season, but he can still play. He’s still one of the smartest and most talented players in the game, but football aside, this whole beef between the two has clearly turned personal, and that’s where things get messy.

"For Ryan Clark in terms of this conversation about Aaron Rodgers, we all know some of the sound bites that have come out, that ain't about football," Wiley added. "C'mon man, we know you talking a little bit more personal than anything else."

Steelers' Rodgers And Clark Should Squash Beef

You can tell by the way Clark talks about Rodgers that it goes beyond just X’s and O’s. There’s some bad blood, some personal grudge or maybe just two big personalities who never really got along. 

Whatever the case is, it doesn’t feel like something that’s going to fade away anytime soon. Wiley goes on to say how he wishes the two would use their platforms to end the beef. Instead of Clark having to continuously wonder if Rodgers is going to be cordial toward him, the two need to get the message across that they don't like each other and let it be, or make up once and for all.

"I wish that they could have their conversation just to be like 'we not cool,'" Wiley finished. "I wish that could happen because I think that leads to more peace than 'we're not gonna speak, and no you're gonna be wondering.'"

Knowing the personalities of Clark and Rodgers, this is likely to go on longer because neither guy is really the type to back down once they’ve dug their heels in. Clark has made a career out of speaking his mind, whether people agree with him or not, and Rodgers has built his entire reputation around being unapologetically himself, no matter who it rubs the wrong way. 

Put those two stubborn personalities together and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a feud that refuses to fade away. Unless one of them suddenly changes, expect this to keep rolling.